70, 



REVIEW OF REVIEWS. 



October 1, 1913. 



He spends his time reviewing volun- 

 teers, and has appointed several retired 

 generals to posts in his army. The 

 Liberal M.P.'s who recently visited Aus- 

 tralia regard the whole agitation as 

 largely bluff. Ulster has got to agree 

 to Home Rule in the long run, a small 

 minority must no longer be allowed to 

 block the wishes of the rest of Ireland. 

 Sir Edward Carson is not taken seri- 

 ously now, and the great anti-Home 

 Rule campaign, started with such blar- 

 ing of trumpets in England, fell abso- 

 lutely flat. So far as a general election 

 is concerned, the Government would 

 never dream of appealing to the coun- 

 try until after it had put through its 

 three great measures, Home Rule, Welsh 

 Disestablishment, and the Plural Voting 

 Bill. 



MR. ASQUITH S LEADERSHIP. 



The rumour that Mr. Asquith was 

 about to retire is. absolutely without 

 foundation. The wish is doubtless 

 father to the thought. His leadership 



has never been so unquestioned, the 

 confidence in him so great. He is 

 pledged to put Home Rule through, 

 and he will do it. It would be the 

 height of folly to fight another elec- 

 tion until the plural vote was abolished. 

 This means that the Government will 

 remain in office until 191 5, when, under 

 the Parliament Bill, an election must 

 take place. Mr. Lloyd George has 

 emerged triumphant from the Marconi 

 enquiry. His following in the country 

 is greater than ever, and his land policy 

 will be adopted by his party. The 

 Opposition is in an even more parlous 

 state than usual. It cannot offer any 

 alternative Government which would 

 inspire confidence. With Mr. Long in 

 ill-health, and Mr. Bonar Law a com- 

 promise leader only, it seems inevitable 

 that the mantle of leadership must fall 

 on Mr. Austen Chamberlain — not an 

 inspiring captain ! Sir Edward Carson 

 is, of course, now quite out of the run- 

 ning ; his fanatic action in Ulster has 

 killed him politically. 



[Courtesy of the " Spectator. 

 GROUP OF DELEGATES. UNION OF CHURCHES CONFERENCE (p. 779). 



