Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-29
ARE EAGER TO HELP
Liberal Oratory to Invade
Britain.
FACE CRISIS IN ELECTION
Speculation Over What English
Premier Will Do.
TORIES AHEAD IN CAMPAIGN
Gossip Over Matrimonial Aspira-
tions of King of Portugal-Brit-
ish Antipathy to Religion.
FACE CRISIS IN ELECTION
TORIES AHEAD IN CAMPAIGN
Special Correspondence Of The Star


LONDON, November 20. 1909.
Mr.. Haldane has delivered a vigorous
fighting speech to the Eighty Club. the
light cavalry of that army of liberal
orators which is soon to invade every
town and hamlet in the country. What
ever else this crisis will produce. there
will be a torrentiai flood of speech; for
in no previous general election has
either side had so many helpers eager
to take to the platform. The mere
listener will suffer much from these
counsel ?darkening emulators of Demos
themes.
Mr. HaIdanes address, which was full
Of military metaphor and allusion, was
an outline Of the oratorical plan OF
campaign ministerialists wish their as
sistants to pursue. It has produced
feeling of citation among liberals which
they badly needed: for now that the
crisis is upon them they are nervous
about it's outcome. Even Mr.. Haldane
for all his militant confidence in his
batteries or argument. confessed him
self wholly at loss how the campaign
will end. we may have great VIC
tory, we may have a great defeat he
said; and that passage exactly ex-
presses the mood of his party.
am told on what 1 think good au-
thority that at the headquarters of the
party there is serious doubt about the
opinion of the country. Six weeks ago
there was no such doubt. The budget
was immensely popular because Of the
land taxes, but now the situation Is
somewhat changed. The form of Lord
Lansdowne's motion, devoid as 1t Is or
any assertion Of superior authority by
the house Of lords. and appealing d.
rectly to the nation itself. has brought
a new element into the situation and
upset the party's electoral calculations.
Waiting on Asquith.
The organizers are waiting upon the
prime minister to make such a move as
will put them again in position OF
tactical advantage. Mr.. Haldame was
dumb on the subject of what course
of action Mr.. Asquith will take during
or at the close OF the lords debate next
week From the ministerial point OF
view. the lords have already committed
a breach of the privileges of the COM
mons.
The fact of the Lansdowne notice being
on the official records of the house is
of itself sufficient ground for action to
be taken. The commons meet Tuesday.
The lords debate will by then lave been
we'll developed.
Will Mr.. Asquith-will the house-keep
silent until debate has run its course
Various speculations are current. Even
if the prime minister lies low for the
time being, there Is the private member
to be reckoned with, and in the present
house of commons there are not few
men constitutionally unable to restrain
themselves or eager for notortety. If
nothing Is done or foreshadowed until
the Lansdowne amendment Is carried
and no one has the least doubt about
il being pressed to a dlvision-what will
Mr.. Asquith then do?
May Prefer Resignation.
The suggestion that Mr. Asquith may
prefer resignation to dissolution is excit-
ing good deal of attention at the Do
litical clubs. 1t is certainly accorded
larger measure of credence than is
given to the story that the prime minister
may try to force the budget through by
the creation of new liberal peers. 1t is
grimly pointed out that the creation
would have to be not in regiments, but
in battalions. On the other hand. even
unionists admit that if MIR. Asquith were
to resign office Immediately after the
budget had been hung up he would stand
to gain some tactical advantage. The
situation created would be an exceedingly
difficult one
The conservative demonstration in the
north and the work which is in full swing
by the army of tory speakers is having
its effect upon the laborfng people, who
think they have little to lose in any case
and very possibly much to gain by vot-
ing for tariff reform. The liberals are
compelled to admit that tariff reform is
making steady and even rapid progress
in the country generally, and even In
Lancashire, which is regarded as the very
citadel of free trade.
They are, however, hoping that the
campaign to be carried on by the liberals
under the command Of Mr. Churchill NAV
counteract the tory demonstration, and
the party is going to concentrate all its
fighting forces in the north during the
next few weeks. Lancashire is now rec
ognized by all parties, including the labor
party, to be the political heart and brain
of the country. and they will all make
superhuman efforts to capture the one
and convince the other.
Using Balfour's Mistakes.
: The mistakes made by Mr.. BaIfour re-
garding the needs of the cotton trade in
his speech at Manchester, from which so
much was hoped. are being shown I'D In
every liberal newspaper, and the Free
Trade League has come out with a mani
festo giving twenty reasons why free
trade is essential for the cotton trade and
its allied industries. The manifesto men
lions that the capital invested In the
trade Is not less than 91OO.OOOO 900; that
II directly employs more than 900 per
sons, who are annually paid G25 600 600
In wages. In England the spindles num-
Der 5.WO,oUO out OF a world total of