The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-07
Lloyd George Turned at
Once to That Party
for Cooperation
MAKEUP OF CABINET
NOT YET DETERMINED
Overthrow of Asquith Min
instry Was Full of ORA
matte Situations

London, Dee David Lloyd George,
the new prime minister. has opened nee
gotiations with the labor party with
view to securing its support and cooper
alton A meeting of the party was held
this morning, at which it was decided to
support any government pledged vigor-
ously to prosecute the war and in which
labor was adequately represented.
Few, if any, Liberal members of As
quith's cabinet are likely to accept the
office under Lloyd George and some I'm
ionist members like J. Austen Chamber
lain and Lord Robert Cecil are likely
to stand aside. However, it is assumed
that at the conference at Buckingham
palace they assured the new premier OF
their benevolent neutrality, thus making
the task simpler. 1t is believed that the
construction OF the cabinet will be a mat
ter Of only a day or so and that the test
of strength can be made in the House OF
Commons on Monday on the vote of cred
it which must be moved Immediately.
Opinion is expressed that not less than
three labor members will be included in
the cabinet. The morning papers re-
frain from predicting or even speculating
on the composition OF the cabinet. That
Lloyd George has perhaps the stiffest
task OF his political career before him is
generally admitted. Some indicate doubt
as to whether he will triumph over the
great obstacles confronting him.
There was prospect yesterday aft.
bat Aa ~fft ,F ha
king might solve the cabinet situation
and many thought that the Asquith re-
gime might be continued The king called
the party leaders to Buckingham palace
and conferred with them more than an
hour Mr. Asquth and Mr.. Lloyd George
of the Liberals Mr.. Bonar Law and
Mr. Bslfour of the Unionists and Mr..
Henderson of the Labor party, were with
the sovereign. 1t is many years since a
British ruler assembled the representa-
tives of the different factions face 10
face when they had shown themselves
nable to settle their differences. But
no such serious crisis has arisen before
to require such action by the king.
Whatever passed in council is held Sc
cret, but the inference that the king
VI ltti w al diiEt a fthOhNAA4ahiSh hPPNh4 q Z
a most natural one. The five states
men departed separately, four in their
motor cars. and the workingmen's |
spokesman afoot.
Afterward, the king gave an audience
to Mr.. Bonar Law, who declined to un- I
dertake the formation of new minis
try, and then to Mr.. Lloyd George, who
accepted the responsibility, as everyone
anticipated he would ii the opportunity I
came to him.
The official announcement last night |
that Mr. Lloyd George had undertaken |
the task with the cooperation OF Mr.. +
Ponar Law, was a notification that the /
new government would be coalition. Any |
party government would be impossible I
because neither the Unionists nor the |
liberals have majority in the House of I
Commons; either one must attach the i
Irish Nationalists or the laborites to it. |
self to command a majority. The Ma
tionalsts have refused to participate in
the government until home rule becomes
established. The laborites were sworn |
enemies of Mr. Lloyd George because
they resented his accusations that the 4
working men have put their personal in
terests above the national interests at
times during the war.
The country awaits the rising of the
curtain on the next act of this historical
and remarkable crisis with an expectan-
cy which never surrounded the birth
throes of any previous government. The
LLOYD George ministry means the direc-
ton of the war by a dictatorship in the
form of an inner council of the cabinet
and means the scrapping of those elder
statesmen whose supremacy in the coun
ellis of the nation, until they choose to
from the scene voluntarily, has
always heretofore been regarded by the
British people as a matter of course.
Mr.. Asquith. Mr Balfour, Viscount
GREY and Lord Ldndsowne must GO"
the Lloyd George press has been crying.
But their going will be attended by wide
spread misgivings among the people, who
have thought their knowledge and ex
as necessary to the government
as the push and driving power of the
group which will succeed them.
Mr. Lloyd George is committed to the
formation of war council, and the mem
bership of that dictatorship will be the
most important and crucial work he will
have to deal with. Andrew Bonar Law,
The Earl of Derby, and Sir Edward Car
son, all of them Conservatives, are most
talked of. NJ. Bonar Law and Lord
Derby would be generally approved, but
Sir Edward Carson has many critics, who
,oncede his talents as a brilliant lawyer,
but question whether he has also the
stability, sound judgment and business
experience for directing war measures.