The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-19
Isaacs and George Excuse
Dealings in Marconi
Shares
MARCONI SCANDAL
REACHES CLIMAX
For First Time in Many Years Eng.
lish Cabinet Members Are Com
PEELED to Defend Their Honor
Before Parliament

London. June 1S-F'or the first time
III many years cabinet ministers were
compelled today to defend their per-
sonal honesty before parliament. The
attorney general, Sir Rufus Isaacs, and
the chancellor of the exchequer, David
Lloyd-George. excused their dealings
| in American Marconi shares on the floor
of the house and the scene in the Mar
conf affair, which their enemies had
attempted TO magnify into a scandal,
and dramatic.
| The two ministers admitted that they
had acted thoughtlessly and mistakenly,
although without dishonest intention,
| and regretted their failure to divulge
all the facts when they made their de-
malls to the house last october of buy
ing English Marconi shares.
| Having finished their defense, in def
erence to the tradition that the house
should be left to discuss their conduct
without the embarra ssment of their
presence, they walked from the cham
Der together. great cheer from their
partisans followed them
| The resolution introduced by George
Cave, unionist. in behalf of the opposi- =
| tioR, which brought about the debate.
went no further than to express the
regret of the house al the transactions
! of the ministers and the lack of frank
| ness displayed toward the house.
Spike Opponents Guns
BY expressing their regret thereby
agreeing with the resolution, the two
| ministers spiked the guns of their bit
terest opponents, who regarded the case
as an opportunity to make political
! capital.
This comparatively tame ending to a
| fierce controversy was apparently the
\ result of a truce between the party
| leaders to protect the good name of
parliament. The liberals were threat
ening, If attacked unreasonably, to
| resurrect all the buried Shortcomings
of the conservative ministers from al
| most forgotten graves
| Two more different types than the
ministers practically before the bar OF
the house could not be imagined-Str
Rufus Isaacs, with clear cut, scholarly
and ascetic features and the low toned
earnest voice of priest; David Lloyd
| George, whom aristocrats look upon
contemptuously as "the Welsh solicit
tor" He is always theatrical and emo
| tional
The attorney generals statement was
| like that of Judge. He empha sized his
desire to take all responsibility for
tempting the chancellor of the excheouer
and Lord Murray of Ellibank into the
affair.
Chancellor Lloyd-George could not re-
frain from denouncing the journalists who
had spread rumors of corruption and
| said:
| Afterdamp Remains
although the charge of corruption had
been exploded. the deadly afterdamp re-
mains and the noxious fumes are poison
ing the blood of the people now en-
gagged in considering the minor charges.
Il am conscious of having done moth
| ing to bring any stain on the honor of
the ministers of the crown. IT YOU will
I acted thoughtlessly, acted carelessly.
| acted mistakenly, but 1 acted Innocent
| ly, openly, honestly. That is whv 7 ann
| content to place myself with confidence
| in the hands not merely of my politica,
friends, but of all the members of this
great assembly"
| After the two ministers had retirad
Lord Robert Cecil who had made the
minority report of the investigating com
mittee, censuring the ministers. caused
u small sensation by replying to Chan
cellor Lloyd-George's charges He tried
to make the case against the ministers
as bad as possible, saying:
Willing to Tell
| IF I wished could have made a really
| flaming report could have said a great
many more things, and am quite ready
| to tell any member privately of some
things rejected because did consider
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