The Washington times., 1915-11-12
BATTLE OF THE PEERS

1t is the house of lords itself
which gives the clearest testimony
that it senses that the English peo-
pie have ticketed it for oblivion af-
ter the war. This is the explanation
of the flank attack which it makes
against the British government as
struggle to avert its own fate.
Earl Loreburn is leading the rally.
With his supporters in the upper
house he has conducted an extraor-
dinary campaign against the gov
ernment's conduct of the war.
Nothing that has been done in diplo-
macy, in war, in anything, on land,
on sea, or anywhere, has been right;
everything grows worse; everything
is hopeless.
Evidently the peers hope. by pos
ing as the guardians of the peoples
welfare and the watchmen of their
safety, to impress the British cleo
torate with their value. When the
time comes for proposals further to
curtail the power Of the house Of
lords they want to be able to remind
England that in the ordeal of war
they saved the empire from destruc-
tion at the hands of bunglers.
Such a campaign might be effec-
tive if there were a real leader to
direct it; if the lords could produce
critic who should be constructive
instead of simply destructive; if
they could, in a word, suggest some
thing better than is being done by
the men in power. But none such
has appeared.
The program, therefore, has not
succeeded. If anything it has helped
rather than hurt the government
with the people. And the fate OF
the lords is sealed. There is nc
doubt tina: further breaking down OF
the barriers of caste will follow upor
the heels of peace. The work begur
by David Lloyd-George in 1909 anc
interrupted only by the war will bt
pushed to its logical conclusion.
With peace yet in the dim future
and at time when England nigh
be supposed to be thinking Of moth
ing but war, the subject sticks IL
. the minds of the people. AS re
:, Gently as Tuesday, Charles Bathurst
= Unionist member from Wiltshire
- got from the premier the assurance
- that the government already has un
der consideration the passage O
!, sumptuary laws to insure tn
- strictest domestic economy durinl
-. the war.
He was prompted to suggest sue
:. measures "in view of the seriou
state of the nations finances and 0
. the thoughtless extravaganza an
!; unnecessary luxury still being i
. dulged in by many persons to tn
- ". annoyance of their neighbors." H
would "put all classes upon. foo
ing during the war of greater equa
ity in their mode of living"
Lord Northcliffe is only one {
many shrewd Englishmen who for
n see the impending changes. He n
re marked only day or two ago tn;
is after the war the poor would |
ot richer and the rich poorer, and pr
y. dicted in peace an income tax whit
'r few years ago would have bee
se called confiscatory.
h, When the war broke out Lloy
r George was busily engaged in a
W tempting land reforms which wou
at have hit the peers hard, includir
minimum wages for farm lahore
G. and measures to compel the gre
in land owners to pay heavy taxation
nd AS far back as 1909 and 1910
is spoke of his famous budget as
SIS "war budget against poverty"
y, was this budget, framed to meet t
|e- $82 100000 deficit caused by his Q
m age pension act, which led to t
an abrogaton Of the veto power of t
ee house Of lords.
The peers then saw the end
ch their powers and privileges. NJ
ell ell they seem to think they can esca
ai, it; but their present campai
itu against the government will 7
're even retard but will hasten it.