Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-27
LIBERAL OPINION CHANGES
Alleged Evasion of Australian Gus.
.... toms Duties.
ARMY LIFE IS ASSAILED
Writers Say Soldiers Should Quit
Service Better Fitted for Work.
Criticisms Irritate Britishers,
pecial Correspondence of The Star.

| What time Engishmen have to spare
from discussing the polar quarrel and
| aeroHautic records is given to the ap-
preaching election. For most people fig
IRE on an appeal to the country in No
| rember
| Lord Rosebery's speech at Glasgow
has tended to stiffen the house Of lords
| in their opposition to the budget, but
milder counsels may yet prevail. and the
| turmoil of a general election may be
avoided for month or two. The house
| OF commons expects to finish the con-
siGeration of this theadbare subject by
the middle of October and then the ma
| ton will watch the lords intently, for
| the coming struggle may bring about
changes in the British constitution.
| How opinion among liberals has chang
| cd with regard to the budget is shown by
| the action of the Budget League A
| month ago, when it was arranged that
| Mr.. Asquith should speak at Birmingham
| the organizers anticipated that j. would
| be the last meeting they would find it
| necessary to arrange, and that they
| might then take holiday. Meetings are
now being arranged right into October.
ana the temporary offices Of the organiza-
ton have been rented for a further peri
| cd. When the league was first formed
| 1t was as an electioneering organization
| AS the summer proceeded, however, the
conviction seemed to grow that the lords
would acquiesce in the bill as it left the
commons. and September II was fixed for
| the great pronouncenlent Of the prime
| minister on work accomplished at all
events by the commons. Now the, con-
| vlct1on has again taken hold of the off,
| Gals that an election will be necessary,
and the league is rexerting to its ORR
| ginal purpose. 1t is convinced that
it's organization will be wanted, for one
purpose or another. till Christmas.
| Much Indignation has been caused
| boardings in London of a particularly
| audacious poster in red. 1t represents
| the chancellor of the exchequer as a
| Isvil, with hoofs and horns and a long
pitchfork, which with furious energy
he is driving into the back of a half pros
trate figure labeled British Trade" Ar
| tistically it is a spirited and lurid bit
| of work. which compels attention: but it
| is felt that it goes little too far. and
| there is some talk Of bringing il to the
| notice of the speaker of the house. Over
| here serious politicians on both sides are
| opposed to pictorial methods whereby
| high officers of the state. however pro-
| vocative they may sometimes be on the
platform. are depicted with satanic exag-
geration.
Few Liberal Candidates.
Political sossips say that in nearly 100
| constituencies the liberal party is at pres
ent without candidates. This il in strik-
ing contrast with the conservatives, who
claim to have a candidate for every seat
| The government whips however, declare
| that whenever the election comes not one
seat Will be allowed to go uncontested
| me party managers are spending. large
part of every day in interviewing pros
| pective candidates and local party man.
| ayers, and there is no doubt that they
| have long list of asprants who have
not yet been ''placed."'
The truce between the conservative free
traders and the conservative high-tariff
men is to have its counterpart, it is ru-
mored, in an arrangement between the
liberal party and the la Dor party a few
months ago it looked as if liberal candi-
dates would be brought forward in many
constituencies now represented by labor
men. Labor men are. however, quite en-
thusiastic in support or the budget and
most eager for a fight with the peers and
they are anxious as the liberals not to i'm
peril the situation by unnecessary con-
tests between "progressives," to use a
term which is regarded as including both
Inc arrangement will be to the advan-
tage of the la Dor party. who expect-with
the help. of course. of the ''miners' mem
bers.' whohave hitherto sat with the lib
erals-to number not less than eighty in
the next parliament.
Park Lane Home at Auction.
We may expect another American mil
lionaire to make his habita ton in Lon
don's premier aristocratic thoroughfare-
Park Lane-before long At any rate
there is offered to them just now what
the agents call IAN eminently desirable
residence III the very heart of fashionable
London. 1t is mansion with superb
Louis Seize fittings, which was begun by
the late Barney Bar nato and occupied by
Otto l3eit, both SoItn African mining
maSnates. Persons 20 whom money is no
object are inspecting This imposing piece
of property with q View 10 answering the
auctiOneer's "What Offers when it is nut
up for sale i'm few weeks.
The purchase of "Eet's Bungalow" as
it is called. will have some agreeable
neighbors Near By is Sir Ernest Cas-
sells residence, the splendors of which, to
quote an enthusiast. rival "the gorgeous
ness and majesty OF the ancient palaces
of sultans." A stones throw away are
Dorchester house. we'll known as Ambas-
SadOr Reid'S palattal residence, the house
built by j. S. Bal nato and now owned by
Sir Edward Sassoun, and the residences
of Rufus Isaacs, *. c.: Lord Brassey,
George Wyndham. Lady Henry Somerset
and other moneyed folk.
American and other traders are said to
be evading the Australian customs regu-
lations successfully, Notwithstanding the
care taken by the department of customs
in the commonwealth government to pre-
vent manufactured goods of nOn-British
origin from securing the British prefer
ence The goods mostly transShip-
ped by way Of a seaport in this country.
but generally go through London. All the
papers certifying the goods to be of Brit
ish origin, and therefore entitled to ,ne
preference conceded by the Australian
tariff. are duly filled in and signed.
though the goods are really the finished
products of some German. American or
other foreign workshop. Definite COM
plant, accompanied by information and
evidence, has been communicated by the
commonwealth representatives i'm London
to the customs department in Australia.
Loss of Revenue.
1t is expected here that more stringent
regulations will be issued with a view Of
protecting the commonwealth against the
loss in revenue entailed and securing con.
tinuance of the benefits of the preference
for British manufacturers. Meanwhile an
appeal is being made by the Aust. allan
department, through its Office in Lon
don, to manufacturers in the United King
dom to assist In frustrating these prac-
tees. II may be possible, IT is thought.
for British manufacturers to institute in
quries in particular branches Of the Aus
tralian trade. and inform the common
wealth authorities concerning the Identity
| Of the transgressors.
l. Enthusiastic mliltaristS here have been
| much annoyed by some reflections upon
| soldiers made by Cyril Jackson and the
Rev. ]. {. Pringle in a report upon IN
| employment. They say that there seems
| little doubt that the army units many
| men for ordinary life. It would seem
tl~t