Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-03
BRITISH POLITICS
ABOUT To BOIL

Special CaOle&ram 10 Inc star.
LONDON. September 2.-It ID possible
that the two great parties Of Great Britain
the conservatives and the liberals, are
about to see the entering wedge OF the
line Of cleavage and the greatest split ir
party policies witnessed since JOSEPH
Chamberlain startled the world with his
population Of free trade and his com.
| mencement of campaign In favor Of pro
lection
1t Is beginning to be believed here that
the resignation of Lord Curzon OF Kedle-
ston as viceroy Of India fortells trouble
for the conservatives. Baron Curzon 10 a
conservative, but this fact makes him all
the more powerful in case he chooses to
lead the fight in England against the con-
servatives and the home government. In
all probability party ties in Great Britain
set more lightly on mems shoulders than
they do in the United States or the col:
onfes. From the days Of the agitation in
favor of the abolition of the corn laws,
from the times Of the great Pitt English
history is full of Instances in which great
leaders of men have turned and walked
into the camp of the opposition without the
cry Of Traitor really seriously injuring
them.
kind of man to surrender fight for
great principal without making contest
which shall be truly historic. The cores
pondence shows a decidedly bitter feeling
between Lord CurZon and Lord Kitchener,
the commander-in-chief of the forces in
India, over the new scheme Of army ad-
min1stratfon in India. Lord Curzon'S dis
satisfaction came to a head with the re-
fusal of the cabinet to appoint Major Cen
eral Sir Edmund Barrow on Lord Curzon's
recommendation, military supply member
of the council
If Lord Curzon should return to England
at the present time and join forces with the
liberals 1t would undoubtedly cause a po-
litical upheaval which must result in the
downfall of the present conservative adj
ministration. 1t will be remembered that
just prior to the adjournment of parlia-
ment the government suffered a severe de-
feat at the hands Of the liberals. Though
Mr.. Balfour refused to recognize the fact
that the situation called for resignation
of the cabinet and an appeal to the coun-
try, 1t was everywhere admitted that the
adverse vote meant a general election with
in one year. The conservative leaders were
a unit in acknowledging this; the chief
objection urged was the fact that an ap-
peal to the country during the hot summer
months was not desirable. Even the lib
erals agreed with the conservatives that
the summer time was not propitious for a
campaign. Roughly speaking, 1t would ap-
pear that the chief difference between the
liberals and the conservatives in the mat
ter OF the time Of holding the election Is
that the liberals want 1t next fall the
conservatives are hoping to be able to put
of the crisis until next spring. And il
the weakness of the government ia any
criterion a liberal cabinet with liberal
premier Is not among the impossibiIities
In case Lord Curzon should play his cards
right 1t Is not impossible that he may find
himself In the lead Of the liberal party
Mr.. Campbell-Bannerman is not regarded
a fx,D 80
to command and demand attention at the
hands of the voters of Great Britain Then
1t would undoubtedly be sweet revenge for
Lord Curzon to succeed Mr.. Broderick, sec
rotary of state for India. For it was the
fact that Mr.. Broderick sided with Lord
Kitchener instead of Lord Curzon. which
brought about the destruction of the In
huence or the indian viceroy with the home
government.
Or Lord Curzon might choose the post of
war minister In the United Kingdom, there
by making himself Lord Kitcheners SUI
perlor and forcing his ideas upon India
through Lord Kitchener himself The
whirligig OF time has brought stranger re-
venges than that. One thing Is certain that
Lord Curzon has much to hope for at the
hands OF the liberals-he has little or moth
Ing to hope for at the hands of the con-
servatives. He has already been honored
by conservative admindst "a ton in being
made viceroy of India. and being given the
er number OF human beings than owe ale
glance to any monarch living except the
Emperor OF China. 1t Is question: BILE
whether In the eyes Of millions and millions
greater than that Of yiceroy of India. The
gap between the two posts Is certainly not
SO great as might appear at first blush
LORD Curzon knows the game and he Is
bilious to have him return to London and
ieave his imprint on public affairs there
And his American father-in-law, Mr.. Letter.
Is on record as saying that the youthful
the times. Beginning public life as assist
ant secretary to the late Lord Salisbury he
mas risen with such rapidly that in 1909
then only thirty-nine. he was appointed to
the post which he has just laid down. 1t Is
impossible to think that a man with the
trainings and the ambitions Of Lord Curzon
VIII be able to retire while In the prime of
NE from public life. especially II he re-
tuLns TO england at a time when Great
britain has become a hot-bed of imperial
policies
Poifical wiseacres may be disposed to dis
credit the Idea of Lord Curzon associating
nlmself with the liberals. For he is an ar
dent imperialist. and his was the policy
which carried the British to Lhassa the
other day. And Lord Rosebery has been
constantly and continually booming Lord
hitchener for minister of war If great
soldiers like Kitchener may be said to have
any politics then the man of iron who went
70 khartoum and who was Lord Roberts
chief of staff In South Africa may be said
to be liberal. But with his present op-
ponent In India a power in liberal circles
IN London 1t would probably not take Lord
Kitchener long to become a full-fiedged con-
sentative
one thing Is certain and that is that the
next rev months will see more politics to
the square inch in Great Britain and Ire
land than has been played by any party
since the DAYS Of Gladstone and the home
rule agitation.