The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-04
.LLOYD-GEORGE IN
|. LINE F0RPREM|ER
Believed That Radical Liberal Will
Succeed Asquith as
Leader. Il.
EXTREMISTS IN CONTROL
Stumbling of King By Asquith May
Lead to Retirement Of the
Minister.
EXTREMISTS IN CONTROL

LONDON, Feb. 4.--Some inside"
political information that leaked out
to-day makes it apparently inevitable
that Premier Asquith, even should
he again accept the reins of the Lib
eral administration, will soon be cast
out by his party In favor of the more
radical David Lloyd George, The Chan
cellor of the Exchequer.
In the opinion OF many of the
shrewdest politicians in England, the
Premier has met the usual fate Of tho
man trying to carry water on both
shoulders. He has spilled both buck
cts and offended both King Edward
and the Liberal radicals, who are now
planning his political demise the mo-
ment this can be arranged without in
jury to the party.
1t developed to-day that Asquith
had come to a virtual agreement with.
King Edward In response to the King ;
insistent demand to do all In his power
to curb the radical Liberals demand
Tor the abolition of the veto power
of the House of Lords
On January gath the Premier ac-
copied an invitation to spend II week
end at Windsor Castle to discuss early
legislation in the next Parliament.
The King was anxious for an arrange
ment whereby the attack on the House
OF Lords could be avoided, and he Is
understood to have suggested to the
Premier that the budget be intro
duced before any legislation affect
Ing the Lords, in the hope that the
passage of the budget would so pIa-
cate the Liberals that they would drop
their demand for the reformation of
the House of Lords.
Almost Immediately Asauith learned
that such program would be vio-
lently opposed by the Radical Lib
erals, who are in the majority.
On January 2T, therefore, he wrote
to the King canceIling his Windsor
Palace engagement and setting out
for Cannes. in order to avoid a most
embarrassing situation.
So suspicious are the Radicals of
Asquith that Lloyd George is follow
Ing the Premier to Cannes to 'Neep
an eye on him. If King Edward
overiooks the snub given him by the
Premier. 1t viii be the first time that
such an affront has been allowed to go
unpublished, and viii indicate clearly
the Kings recognition of the neees-
sity of playing In with the Liberals
Since the close Of the election the
Liberals Irish Nationalist and Labor
ties. with a majority OF more than 100,
have cemented the compact agreed en-
In the closing days Of the election, and
VIII present a solid pfafanx against
the Peers, demanding the etrtailfnent
of the Lords veto in matters of finance
before the introduction of the budget.
Asquith's friends declare that he is
doing everything possible to make
amends fer his recent lapse, and Is
most DESTROYS of continuing as Pre-
inter. This is what led him to write to
the King that there was no hope of a
compromise.
The King has unexpectedly turned
up in London and has been in con-
ference with Foreign Secretary Grey,
| War Minister Haldane and others of
the Liberal leaders in an effort to
convert them to more conservative
policy, but there Is said to be scant
hope of his success.
The fight will undoubtedly end, Lead
ing politicians say. in victory for the
extremists. and the selection of Lloyd
George for the premiership the mo-
ment Asquith shows the least sign of
xs-aza