The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-18
LIBERAL GOVERNMENT
At SERIOUS CRISIS
Conditions in England Fore
cast Wide Changes in the
Cabinet Personnel.
CHURCHILL UNDER FIRE
Tories Tire of Bonar Law and
Plan Assault on Land
Policy.

BY PHILLIP EVERETT.

Special Cable 20 The Tribune
LONDON, Aug. livery lover OF
liberty and progress in England real
ICES at present that tho Liberal gov
ernmeut. that has done more for the
political progress in this stagnant little
island than any government England
ever had, is passing through serious
crisis, which. if worse does not happen,
will result in quito a number of changes
in the composition Of tho cabinet before
parliament meets again.
Among these changes it is quite sure
that il Mr.. BirreTl. who in temperament.
wit and love OF good joke, even on
himself, resembles the typical Irish
man, will leave Ireland, probably TO
enter the house Of lords, and if my In
formation is correct he will be replaced
by Herbert Samuel, who. dry as q bone.
resembles an Irishman least Of all.
John Burns also is scheduled for re.
moval, at least | hear that he is
thorn in the flesh Of Mr.. Asquith.
But how to get rid of him is another
matter.
What Of Churchill9
But the most burning question Of all
is: What is to become Of Winston
Churchillf
In spite OF all reports to the cor.
trary circulated in the Tory press, the
personal friendship between Churchill
and Lloyd George is as firm as over.
but politically they differ widely. This
breach in their political opinions Is wild
euing everv dav and there are plenty
OF people politics who assert that
within year Mr.. Churchill will have
followed the example OF Joseph Cnam-
berlain and viii be found among tbs
ranks OF the enemy, who, IN that case,
will probably wish he had remained
where he was. For though he is a jingo
on the question OF the big navy, he is
in all other respects a true democrat,
who will never agree with the old-fssh-
ioned ideas of the conservatives
But the feeling against Churchill 8
naval plans is very strong in the rad
ical wing of the government party.
where social reforms are considered
more necessary than new dreadnoughts,
which only tend 10 irritate Germany,
and the prime minister may find IL
necessary TO find another first lord Of
the admiralty rather than run the risk
of estrRnging a large number OF rad
ical and labor votes in the house. which
are absolutely necessary for the success
Of the governments 3 programme.
Tory Situation.
Among the Tories the tuation Is lit
tie better. II is too late to say that
Bonar Law is disappointment for
nobody expects lead from him, but il
is not too much TO say that the whole
party is sick and tired Of him and
would gladly relegste him to his old
obscure position il this could be done
without washing too much dirty linen
in public and without attracting atten-
tion to the lack Of solidarity in tho
party. Tho Tories hope to be able to
make strong assault upon the govern
ment next session. whom LLOYD Georges
land policy is brought forward, and as
it is bad policy TO swap horses while
crossing a stream Bonar Law will prob.
ably be allowed TO romain where he is.
From a most reliable source 7 know
that repeated attempts have been made
to induce Arthur J. Balfour to become
once more the pilot OF his party. but he
is far too well pleased with his pres
eut freedom TO be enticed back into
harness.
At anv rate Bonar Law Is better
than f. +. Smith, Winston Churchill's
bosom friend, and the Tory party's bad
bow. who would undoubtedly make a
dash for tho leadership rs soon as there
should be vacancy, and this would
be 4 greater calamity than most men
in the party would be able 10 bear. The
mere thought Of man with Mr..
Smith s manners as leader of the con-
servstive party is enough 70 drive tho
older and presumably wiser heads mad.