16 NOVEMBER 1918, Page 3

We are loth in such a week as this to

deal with political subjects, and especially with those that involve polemics. The nearness of the General Election, and the need at that General Election for safeguarding the rights of the people of North-East Ulster, make it, however, imperative that we should allude to the question of Home Rule. We most sincerely trust that the Unionist rank-and-file will insist that the Unionist leaders shall before the General Election obtain pledges and guarantees that votes given to Home Rule and Liberal Coalition candidates shall not be used to put the Home Rule Act into operation, unless it is modified in such a way as to exclude the Six-County Area, and to allow the incorpor- ation of that area with the Kingdom of England, such incorporation to be permanent and indefeasible.