THE bright genius who spoke of the period in which we are living
as "this so-called twentieth century" could not have expressed
himself with greater felicity. When we read the story of the
gun-running in British waters, we rubbed our eyes and asked if this
really is the twentieth century, or only one so-called. For one
thing, at any rate, this amazing exploit, carried to a successful
issue, with faultless precision and without injury, save, perhaps,
to the feelings of a few helpless officials, who were compelled to
be chagrined spectators of a clever coup, has made it impossible
any longer to laugh at the proceedings of the Ulster volunteers.
The Government has had a rude awakening, and is at its wits' end to
know how to deal with an awkward situation. . . Now it is perfectly
obvious that force will be met with force, and, for some
inexplicable reason, Mr Redmond is understood to be deprecating
recourse to the violent measures which he favoured until now and to
which the Nonconformist Conscience on the Radical back benches is
urging the Government on. Meanwhile, delay in coming to a decision,
either to grant the unconditional exclusion of Ulster from Home
Rule or to submitthe question to the electorate, is fraught with
daily increasing danger. The Loyalist population of Ulster has been
held under restraint with marvellous skill and tact, but this
successful import-ation of arms and ammunitionhas materially added
to the seriousness of the state of affairs created by the
Government's fatuity.