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Show Nemesis Pursues Asquith 1 Proletariat Chief Harries Great Britain Destined to See fereat Events Under Strong Man's Work. LONDON, April 11. Prime Minister Min-ister Herbert H. Asquith has two foos who hang about his heels iu his grcatbattle for homo rule in Irolaiul. Mrs. Flora (General) Drummond, now tho most prominent militant leader, and Jim Larkin, chief of tho proletariat, aro raising their voices to protest that Ireland's government gov-ernment is not the most important issue is-sue before tho British people. Mr. Asquith has just been returned unopposed to tho commons by East Fife. When ho took tho secretaryship for war iu addition to his duties as premior ho was compelled to sock the approval of his constituents. It had been taken for grantod that Mr. Asquith would be eloctod, for tho unionists never considered nominating a candidato. But he had scarcely announced an-nounced in parliament his decision to assume the secretaryship for war in addition to his phico at tho head of tho cabinet, and resigned his commons seat t o put himself boforo the peoplo 'a tribunal again, when James Lnrkin, tbt famous labor Icudcr, long a thorn in Mr. Asquith 's side, unnonncod ho would oppose the premier at the polls. Larkin, Lar-kin, contrary to the general impression, impres-sion, is not an Irishman. He went over to Dublin from Manchester to head tho dissatisfied transport workers. Militants Are Prompt. Tho militaut suffragettes did not tako tho trouble to make an announcement, announce-ment, but proceeded posthaste to the scone. Led by "General" Mrs. Flora Drummond. they began a continuation of thoir long campaign against the man whom they believe to bo the worBt enemy of thoir cause, A now ora of English constitutional history may bogin when Mr. Asquith returns to London after this election, His friends nro sure ho will come strengtnonott ana roriirieu. nio iiuai outcome. may bo a federation, liko.tho United States; it may bo further socialist so-cialist measures along tho lino of national na-tional insurunco and old age pensions; it may bo tho final downfall of tho houso of lords and tho crown; at the worst, it ma' bo armed civil war, aristocrat aris-tocrat against comniouor, nrmy against pooplo, Catholic against Protestant tho ronowal of tho old conflict of roundhead and CBvalior. It is a critical period of English development. de-velopment. The United Kingdom is 8eetniug with discordant elements. Berlin Ber-lin looks on and smiles. In this strait tho English government govern-ment has a strong man at its head. Keccnt events, tho apparent tottering of tho cabinot, havo only Borved to show tho greatness of Asquith. For eight years he has guided tho destinies or the empire Ho has weathored J dozens of storms which would havo sent most premiors to the bottom;, Proved Competent. Just eight years ago last Wednesday, Sir Herbert kissed tho hand of King Edward at Biarritz, the Spanish summer sum-mer resort, and thereby became prime minister and first lord of th.e treasury. A few days before Sir Henry Camp-bell-Bannerman had rosigued. Mr. Asquith As-quith had been chancellor of tho exchequer ex-chequer in tho Campbell-Banncrmnn cabinet since Decombor 10, 1905, when that cabinet was formed. It was generally remarkod that Mr. Asquith was a sounder and moro ablo statesman than Sir Houry, but lacked thoso personal qualities which endeared his predecessor. Time has not served to change this judgment. Sir Herbert is the cold man of steel, the immovable, tho rock amid the tempest. But tho attack of tho poet William Watson, for instance, will illustrate his lack of personal per-sonal attraction. Mr. Asquith is now G4 years old, a stalwart xorkshircman with a crown of snow-white hair. Ho was a protege of William E. Gladstone, Glad-stone, whose attcution was attracted to him by a speech made at a dinner. Mr. Gladstone saw tho great political future of young Asquith. It will probably prove, indood, that the protoge will put through the very measure, homo rule, which split tho patron's party asunder and proved his undoing. Is Great Debater. When East Fifo first sent Mr. Asquith As-quith to parliament Mr. Gladstone immediately im-mediately took him off tho benches and made him secretary of state for home affairs'. Horo his talents showed dearly. He is a remarkably able lawyer, with a fondness for epigrams. Ho is considered the keenest debater sinco Glndbtono. There is the greatest contrast between be-tween tho premier and "Jim" Larkin. Where Mr. Asquith is the prince of logic, Larkin hurls his arguments at his audience without any sequenco or cohesion. Tno latter is a prophet cry. ing in the wildernos3 full of rough, uncouth forco. His sincerity is undoubted. un-doubted. Larkin 's strike of tho Dublin transport trans-port workers come nenr to wrecking homo rule. Ho was n flgnro in tho labor world which almost in an instant- eclipsed all other leaders. While Sir Edward Carson was quietly drilling drill-ing his men Larkin wn3 loading iu a real civic striko, with a long casualty list. Tho liberal government, which was aud is Asquith, imprisoned Larkin. But tho result w;as pot pleasing. Tho liberal lib-eral majorities in a couplo of by-elec-' tions were seriously cut. At tno end or three weeks of wlFnt was to havo been a six months' sontenco Larkin was liberated. lib-erated. Ho then carried his '"Fiery Cross" to England, whore ho won many by his furious eloquence. Larkin 's position is a curious ono. He says he is a nationalist, believing in home rulo; but ho scorns tho Roman Catholic church nnd tho Ancient Order of Hibernians. Ho rofuscd to speak at a meeting where tho chairman was n Socinlist who had divorced his wife the year before. Larkin 'a position is scnrcoly more curious thnn that of the" laborites as n whole. If thero is a parliament at Dublin, tho Irish cabinet may find its chiofest problem not Ulster, but tho groat mass of impoverished Irish rallying ral-lying around the standard of this rough workman. |
