New-York tribune., 1910-02-27
BRITISH DEADLOCK
HOPES OF UNION IN
THE C4BINET.
lfr. 4squith Still m Control of
Partg-Peers MGg Take
Lead IN Reform.
rBy Gable to The Tribune ]


London. Feb. 26--GopernEnent by oep-
rfafio- is even more disintegrating than
government by groups The Prime MIN
.sscr is receiving much instruction from
.he recaicitrant Radicals from opposite
corners Of the smoking room at West
minister respecting policy. tactics and
strategy in the campaign against the
Lords. The points cannot be new, since
every section Of Liberalism is repre-
sented in the Cabinet, which has dis
c,,ssed the subject exhaustiveiy at fire.
qi4ent meetings.
According to the best informa tioR OBJ
tainable there are no bitter feuds, but
merely honest differences OF opinion re-
enactinc the most effective procedure
against tho Lords The report that Sir
Fa.ard Grey has threatened to resign
Office is a canard. and equally untrust-
worthy has been the rumor that COM
hinaticn has been formed TO drive the
Chancellor of the Exchequer out of Of
fec. The hurried visit Of the Prime
Minister TO buckingham Palace gave
rise to rumors that his resignation was
impending, but these have been prompt
X ccntradic,ed with the story that VIII
ston Churchill is holding out with d vfd
T.iovd-C1eorge against the majority of
the ministry 1t is more probable that
Mr.. Churchill is acting as peacenaker IN
the Cabinet. siding with the majority.
and is seeking 10 bring the disappointed
Chancellor 20 reason and 10 call off the
indiscreet Radical editors.
The Cabinet has been divided into two
neu defined groups Of temporary tao
ticians and farsighted statesmen. One
has favored z simple, straightforward
policy for the limitation Of the powers
Of the House of Lords without a change
IN the constitution Of the hereditary
chamber. The other has looked beyond
the immediate necessity OF linking to-
-ether the groups making UP the coall-
ton and has recognized the necessity
Of framing a statesmanlllle reform bttl,
{ comprehensive in scope on which the
government can appeal 10 the country
-t the next election. The Kings speech
/ contained evidence Of the conflict OF
opinion within the Cabinet. Resolutions
or the text Of hill itself may supply
PROOF OF \ tffitiilieiii4o'- "tiit'A mo-
may not he satisfactory to the dis
oouraged. but not quite denoralized,
coalition
Meanwhile before either resolutions or
8 hilI can be produced. there is Sir Henry
Dalziels amendment to the Prime Min
listers motion for giving precedence 70
government business until Easter He
AID tho other stalwart Radicals are
threatening TO vote against the main
motion If the Speaker rules the amend
lpent out Of order and the Nationalist
and Labor members are expected to join
in the revolt The Tnionists assert that
fhe government can be SAVED from de-,
feat only by the patriotic action Of the
Opposition in supporting il fer the pur-
pose of facilitating the financial legisla-
ton which is urgently needed
When the crisis comes il viii probably
turn out that a Cabinet agreement has
already been reached. as ] cabled last
night and that d basis Of joint action
for the coalition has been found tenn
7orarily on the veto question, Yet the
situation cannot be sdescribed otherwise
fhau as critical when the Prime Min
1S.FT IS rGrnOrHG 1n ne TiIiflS TOT = idtt
and the United Irish League has with
drawn the Irish support from Mr.. Benn
in the by-election in East London.
While every section Of tho coalition is
suffering from attack Of nerves, even 50
hopeful a Radical as II. ". MassiDgharn,
the editor of THE Nation, " cannot sug-
rest a better way out Of the deadlock
than the adoption Of a referendum, which
would convince the King of the neces-
sitv for cuara ntees ard also keep the
government In office without general
election. These counsels of despair may
be diSpelled by the united If belated, ac-
iion Of the Cabinet and the resolute
hearing Of the Prime Minister, who has
rot yet accepted dictation from any group
and is still master of the precarious stu
alton. since he alone can straighten out
the finances before the end tof March,
and since every section OF the Commons