The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-11-16
OLD PARTY LINES
IN ENGLAND WIPED
OUT BY THE WAR

London, Noy. ~ (Thursday)- y)-The
issue in the coming elections is
whether the country will endorse
Lloyd Georges proposal that the
present coalition government with
himself as premier, shall be contin.
ued after the war for the work oi
peace and carrying on the
labor OF reconstruction.
Political Conditions Newer So
Chaotic
Never before were British polit-
ical conditions so chaotic as they
are today. The war has shattered old
party lines.
The electoral reform bill adopted
by parliament during the summer OF
1917 virtually doubled the number OF
voters. 1t gave the ballot to all wo-
men over 80, men over p, and sol
diers under q. This added 100000
females and 100000 males to the
voting lists. How the women will
vote and what parties the soldiers
will support none can predict. The
prospect of plunging the country
into the excitement and expense OF
an election at such a time as the
present has excited strong opposi-
ton. On the other hand the legal
life OF the present house OF commons
expired three years ago and 1t has
cXtendcd its. own tenure OF Office,
from term to term, by resolutions.
This has been an informal proceed
inc which would have been impos-
sible except that il had the endorse
ment OF public opinion because nc
one wanted an election during the
great war.
Difficult Task for Lloyd George
As the new voters will be entitled
to take part in choosing the gov
ernment, Lloyd George has before
him the difficult task OF trying to
keep together the majority of the
conservative party which supported
this war measure and enough hb-
erals to give him balance of power
The decisive factors will be how
many liberals will follow him and
what policy the labor party will
adopt
Herbert II. Asquith remains Tic
official leader OF the liberal party
while Lloyd George is free lance
without any party organization or
party funds behind him. He wishes
to continue the political truce which
all parties declared at the beginning
of the war and trusts to the slogan
that he is the leader who won the
war to attract votes.
The prgram of his followers is ap-
parently to nominate Lloyd George.
Liberals in all districts where the
regular liberal candidates will not
endorse the plemier's platform. II
this is carried out, it means a spit
in the liberal party, which will have
to decide whether the Lloyd George
ians or the Asquithians control it.
How many candidates the labor par
tv will nomiate and how many votes
it will muster is an uncertain ele-
ment.
Situation In Ireland
So far as Ireland is concerned the
election means almost the total dis
appearance of the old Nationalist
party of Redmond and Dillon from
The Sim Feiners are
expected to sweep southern Ire
land. but the members elected By
the Sim Fem always refused to take
their seats.
In addition to trying to hold to-
gether his conservative and liberia.
Lloyd George is tryirg
to reconcile the Asquith faction.
Asquith could have had high seat
in the present cabinet if he would
have accepted it. There were two
obstacles, however, home rule and
protection. One OF these the con-
servatives will not have and the
other is objected to by the liberals.
LLOYD George addressed large
I.I,,-.I hot IN