We have dealt elsewhere with the Government's pledges and performances
in regard to Conscription for Ireland. Here we will summarize the very important and significant debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday, which was chiefly concerned with the withdrawal of the new Home Rule project and the Garman Plot. It remains to be noted that in recording the Pledges and in making our Appeal to the House of Commons in our leading columns, we have quoted and dealt with Lord Curzon's declarations rather than with those of the Prime Minister. Our reason is that Lord Curzon's declarations correspond with the facts—i.e., with the abandonment of Conscription. With Mr. Lloyd George's vague hopes and aspirations that some day Irelehd will be conscripted, if the conditions are favourable—i.e., if the Irish Hierarchy change their minds, if the volunteering same is a failure, and if Irishmen can unite over a geed Home Rule scheme before the war comes to an end—we have made no attempt to deal. You cannot tight a cloud of " ifs " and " whom." TLe general sense of the nation realizes that if Conscription is not applied at once to Ireland it will never be applied. Every month of delay —we have already had two and a half months—increases the power of the disloyal to resist., and decreases the power of the Government to impose. That is why we have disentangled the subject frcm Mr. Lloyd George's mesh of words and preferred Lord Curzon's comparatively candid exposition of the actual situation.
