Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-05
TWO GREAT. CAMPS
British Politicians Now Busy
With Electors.
LIVELY CAMPAIGN AHEAD
Difficult to Forecast Effect of Six
Weeks Canvass.
SUFFRAGETTES TAKE A HAND
Chamberlin Predicts Unionists Will
Gain Working Majority Above
Both Liberals and Nationalists.
SUFFRAGETTES TAKE A HAND
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablesram to The Star.
LONDON, December If one should
Judge by the violent speeches Of Chan
cellor Of the Exchequer Lloyd-George at
the Liberal Club yesterday and those of
Winston Churchill, president of the board
of trade, and other government leaders
1t would be taken for granted that the
country was seething with political eX-
element unprecedented in modern times.
1t would be difficult to discover in the
ordinary life Of this metropolis as mat
ter of fact, that crisis exists. Every
body is glad. as a matter Of fact. that
the noisy quarrel Of the past eight
months Is to be settled. as it should be
settled. by popular vote, but nobody ex-
cept the politicians themselves is getting
In the least excited about it.
A good. lively campaign will undoubt-
edly develop by the second week In jan
uary. when the voting will begin. and the
decision then rendered will be OF greater
Importance and significance to the future
of this empire than any modern popular
verdict.
One must be inclined to pity in the pros
pect of the average British elector, for
it is likely to be a campaign Of mis-
representation and mystihcation on both
sides. He is utterly ignorant, for in
stance. on all tariff technicalities, yet he
will be called upon to give expert ad-
vice and opinion on this subject.
Would Like to See Reform.
There is little doubt that a large ma
jority of Englishmen who are democratic
would like to see reform Of the house
of lords on lines at least of a prac-
tically representative second chamber,
yet how can they condemn the peers for
merely demanding popular verdict upon
radical measure?
Regarding the present state of public
opinion on the budget itself, there are
signs Of considerable change since
summer.
There was some Justification in the
claim that the government could have
carried the country in August. The
indications at the present moment are the
other way. but 1t would be absurd to at
tempt to forecast the effect Of six weeks
canvasSing.
Joseph Chamberlain has been devoting
himself for months past to collecting In
formation and studying the conditions
and the trend of public thought In all
parts Of the country, with the result
that he does not hesitate to commit him.
self to the statement that the unionists
will gain a working majority above the
liberals and nationalists in the next par
lament. This, of course, would mean
an enormous overturn, and It must be
duIIllltu LHdL IQ6 uQlOQlSlS themselves
would be surprised by so decisive re-
suit.
Many Other Issues.
The country is divided into two great
camps. composed of those who support
the lords action and those who contend
| that the house of commons must have
absolute control of the finances Of the
nation. There are, of course, many
other issues, such as tariff reform versus
| free trade, but these are being pushed
into the background by the conflict be-
| tween the two houses
| While the various local organizations
are busy selecting candidates and prepar-
ing for the contests in their respective
districts. the leaders of the great parties
are carrying on a general campaign. The
radicals, who had long foreseen the fate
| of their finance bill are not allowing the
grass to grow under their feet. In Lon
| don this afternoon one of their organi-
| cations, the National Democratic League,
held a demonstration as q protest against
| the action Of the lords, which was one
| of the most notable that have ever been
held in the metropolis. Fully 10000 per-
| sons. mostly of the laboring and artisan
| classes, gathered in Trafalgar Square and
cheered the radical speakers, who con-
demned in unmeasured terms the mem
bers of the upper chamber.
Suffragettes Create Diversion.
The only divergent note here. as else
where, came from the suffragettes who,
after term of comparative quiet, again
started to indulge In attempts to break
up the radical meetings. The Trafalgar
| Square crowd. however, was too great for
| their efforts to have any effect. They
were more successful at Southport. where,
| by climbing to roof and shouting
through the skylight, they succeeded in
| interrupting Winston Spencer ChurchiIrs
meeting, and at Leith. where, aided by
roughs, they created a diversion by at
| tempting to storm a meeting which Sir
| Edward Grey, the foreign secretary. was
addressing.
Fooled by the Leith police, who charged
the crowd with batons. the women got
their revenge by hurting bricks through
the windows Of the public buildings.
Secretary Grey. whose speech was not
| interrupted to any extent. spoke strong
| ly for the reformation Of the upper
| chamber