The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-11-15
Lloyd George, Really a
Free Lance, Asks Unity
of Parties
FRANCHISE GIVEN
MILLIONS MORE
Women Will Vote-No One
Know What Labor
Will Do
(By Associated Press.)

(By Associated Press)
London. Nov. 15.-The issues in
the coming elections is whether the
country will endorse a proposal that
the present coalition with Lloyd
George himself as premier, shall be
continued after the war for the work
of making peace and carrying on the
labor OF reconstruction.
Never before were British princt-
pal issues as chaotic as they are to-
day. The war has shattered old
party lines.
Electorate Extended
The electoral reform bill. adopted
~ parliament during the summer OF
1917 virtually doubled the number Of
voters. 1t gave the ballot to all
women over 30. men over 81 and soi-
diers under q. This added 6.000,000
female and 100000 males to the
vote and what parties the soldiers
will support none can predict.
Election Long Past Due
The prospect of pIunging the
country into the excitement and ex-
pense of an election at such a time
as the present has excited strong OPP
position. On the other hand the le-
gal life of the present house of com
mons expired three years ago and
it has extended its tenure of Office
from term to term by resolutions.
This was an informal proceeding
which would have been impossible
except that it had the endorsement
of public opinion because no one
wanted the election during the great
war.
Lloyd George Free Lance
AS the new voters will be. entitled
TO take part in choosing the govern
ment Mr.. Lloyd George has before
him the difficult task Of trying to
keep together that majority of the
Conservative party which supported
his war measures and enough lfber-
ais TO give him a balance of power.
The decisive factors viii be how
many liberals will follow him and
what policy the Labor party, viii
adopt. Herbert III. Asquith remains
the official leader Of the liberal party
while Mr.. Lloyd George is a free
lance without any party organization
or party funds behind him. He wish
es to continue the political truce
which all parties declared at the be-
ginning of the war and trusts to the
slogan that he is the leader who won
the war; to attract votes.
Splitting the Liberals
The program OF his followers is
apparently to nominate Lloyd George
Liberals in all districts where the
regular Liberal candidates will not
endorse the premier's platform. If
this is carried out it means a. split In
the Liberal party which viii have to
decide whether the Lloyd Georgians
or the Asquithans control it. How
many candidates the Labor party
will nominate and how many votes
1t will muster is an uncertain els-
ment.
In Re Sim Feiners
So far as Ireland is concerned the
election probably means the total
disappearance Of the old Nationalist
party Of Redmond and Dillon from
Westminster. The Sim Feiners are
expected to sweep southern Ireland
but the members elected by the Sinn
Fein have always refused to take
tehir seats.
their seats.
Asquith in Opposition
gether his Conservative and Liberal
supporters, Mr.. Lloyd George Is try
ing to reconcile the Asquith faction.
Mr.. Asquith could have had a high
seat in the present cabinet IL he
would have accepted it. There were
two obstacles. however. home rule
and protection. One OF these the
Conservatives win not have and the
other is objected to by the Liberals.
Some Of the Issues
Mr.. Lloyd George addressed a
large group Of Liberal members from
both houses Of parliament on Tues
day. Andrew Bonar Law, Chancellor
Of the exchequer. also presented the
coalition program at a. meeting oe
the Conservatives. This program III
said to include safeguarding agrf-
culture, and essential manufactures.
imperial preference and home rule
without coercion of the six counties
of Ulster. Mr.. Lloyd GEORGES
speech before the Liberals advocated
a league Of nations and emphasized
the need of national unity. He
begged the Liberals not to suIk. Linn
tied protection and half way home
rule do not satisfy the staIwarts of
either party. The greatest asset 81
Mr.. Lloyd George is his personal
popularity.