The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-11-23
EDWARD DRAGGED
into THE FIGHT
For the First Time in History of
Modern England, the King
Has to Choose.
By Charles P. Stewart.
european Manager of the United
Press,

european Manager of the United
Press.)
LONDON, October 29.-King Ed
ward is being dragged into politics.
For the sovereign to take sides be-
tween the two great parties is posi-
lively startling thing in modern Eng
land.
Two great unwritten laws have reg
ulated the British political game for
generations. One is that foreign af-
fairs are never to be dragged into
party controversies; the other is that
the monarch must keep out of disputes
between political organizations. Neither
to him nor to the disputants would it
be fair to have royalty lined up on
one side or the other. In fact, as con-
stitutional government is understood
in England, it would be practically
impossible situation.
| No British ruler has ever observed
/ this regulation more scrupuIousiy than
| KING Edward VII. He has been ac-
cused of influencing affairs, but never
of attempting to pull single string
in domestic politics.
Circumstances have arisen now, how
ever, in which it is generally agreed
| that all rules must, for the moment, be
disregarded.
! The house of lords is in danger. If
the liberal party wins, as it seems daily
more certain to do, at the inevitable
national election within the next three
or four months, the body's death war
rant will have been sealed to all in
tents and purposes unless the King
| interferes.
The liberals, supposing them victo-
rious, may, to be sure, refuse to let
HIM interfere. There is chance, how
ever, that they will. Their leaders
are somewhat divided. The radicals,
| led by Chancellor of the Exchequer
Lloyd George and President of the
Board of Trade Winston Churchill,
want to ego the limit The moder-
ates, headed by Premier Asquith, fear
too rapid changes. They insist on a
representative government, but they
are monarchists. If the country un-
dertakes to abolish the house of lords,
they are afraid it will not spare the
monarchy.
What this moderate liberal element
hopes to accomplish is an arrangement
by which the lords may be spared on
condition that the King create a suffi-
cient number of liberal peers to turn
the upper chamber of the national leg
| islature from a conservative into a lib
eral assembly.
1t all depends upon whether the rad
ical liberals will accept this compro-
mise. They do not yet know them
selves whether they will do 50. The
temper shown by the people at the
coming election will decide their atti-
tude. If the liberal majority is over
whelming, the radicals will surely in
sist upon the hereditary legislators
determination. If the majority is not
SO strong, they will, doubtless, be sat
isfied-with half-loaf. If the conser-
vatives win, of course, the liberals will
have nothing whatever to say, but this
seems unlikely.
There is no question that King Ed
ward will readily act ON a hint from
Premier Asquith to change the house
of lords complexion from conserva-
tism to liberalism.
In the first place, it is no secret that
the moderate liberals, any very violent
changes in England's governmental
system. His own throne is at stake,
and although, in the event of the es-
tablishment of a, British republic, Ed
ward would assuredly get all the votes
as first president, he much prefers
kingship.
Should he be convinced that the only
| nf akrtn ha .f nTla 10 hxs
altering its politics, he will alter them.
More than this, Edward is not a
conservative, as might naturally be
supposed, but moderate liberal. The
oretically, of course, he has no poli-
ties, but II is no real secret that, while
he prefers 10 have changes made eau
tiously, he is progressive.
| Furthermore, he ID an ardent free
trader. The liberals are free traders
the conservatives, protectionists.
But TO undertake the transformation
Of tho politics of one Of the chambers
Of the English parliament, the King
will certainly have 10 become poll
tieian for the time,
II wall be decided aud far from
pleasing departure for him. Liberal ~
be Is, all his closest personal friends
are conservatives, aud they will bate
him, as a traitor 10 bic class. lie il
growing very old, too, aud be- hatei
hghung, especially pghuag lg ghlel
be must himself participate, Ito has
nrfnI done any, hnd he hAs 20 disp0
iliiOn ~ hegin now, There 10 40 %
eelleni prospect, however that ih'
Tins Il nsaf Nhpn he Nil bp unabl,
10 hplp himsrlf
klnR Ednsrd's position 10 lailsl 20
iheiie'
stSs~