19133 Irish Politics at Westminster 



Sir Edward drew an honest breath, 

 "Aha," he cried; "can this he Death?" 



The Irish disturbance of 1913 led by Carson, Carson's 

 although ostensibly directed against Home Rule, was ^'^^fi-''^ 

 primarily a back fire against the Parliament Act; for 

 this crucial stroke of the Liberal party practically 

 deprived the House of Lords of its veto power and 

 was therefore vehemently resented. Moreover, Car- 

 son and his associates would probably have thrown 

 Ulster into actual rebellion against the Empire in 

 their efforts to dislodge the Liberals, had not the 

 advent of war shifted the whole outlook and brought 

 about a Coalition Cabinet. 



Such an organization is to all intents and purposes Coalitions 

 reactionary, Toryism dominating over Liberalism; "^7"^. 

 the one rests on personal and class privilege, the 

 other on opinion, and in the short run interest is 

 always victorious over ideas. With time statesman- 

 ship will triumph, but not as an immediate result of 

 political compromise. "Coalition drives principles 

 from the political stage." 



"Mr. Dooley"! puts it succinctly: "I always 

 favor those in politics for a cause. I bet my money 

 on those in politics for a reason." 



During our stay at the Red House, Hoover and I Hoover's 

 often discussed the current troubles in Europe. Of "^""""^ 

 one or two of these conversations I find the following 

 fragmentary notes : 



War ruins commerce, manufactures, financial interrelations. 

 But in comparison with agriculture and common industry, these 

 are less important than they seem. The total value of foreign 



1 Finley Peter Dunne of Chicago. 



c 483 ;] 



