“Not often in our history has a Prime Minister’s speech on a matter of domestic politics been awaited with so much anxiety as is felt in all quarters with regard to the statement to be made by Mr. Asquith to-day in Parliament.” So began the main leader on page 10 as Ulster dominated the domestic news. After the entrenched positions of recent days, news that “efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the Home Rule crisis have been renewed with increased vigour” (page 11) gave hope that Ireland might step back from the brink of conflict, although another article on the page stating “there is no material chance in the question of the Ulster question” gave a less optimistic note.