The sun., 1918-09-29

Ole Will De unoerStooO.
When Cabinets go out Of Office in Great
Britain it is well nigh invariably in con-
sequence of a defeat in the House of
Commons and the loss of majority OF
votes there needed for carrying on the
business of the nation. In rare instances
the downfall of an administration has
been the result of dissension among its
members. 1t was the revolt Of Lloyd
George and of certain other members o.
the coalition Cabinet, together with mani
festations of popular sentiment in the
press, that forced Premier Asquith to re-
sign in December, 1916, although still in
command of large legislative majority
in the House of Commons. But Asquith
made it thoroughly clear at once that al
though he had been compelled to surren-
der the office of Prime Minister to Lloyd
George he himself still retained the chief
tainship of the Liberal party, and as such
the control of the Liberal party funds and
electoral machinery.
Asquith and his immediate followers
believed that Lloyd George would find it
quite impossible to live up to the extrav
agant expectations that had been formed
concerning him, especially in the matter OF
bringing the war to an immediate and sue
cessful conclusion. He took the ground
that every day that Lloyd George re-
manned at the head of the Government he
would necessarily sink in the esteem of
the people, and that in the meanwhile he
would be compelled to remain subservent
to his, Asauith's, views, in order to retain
a working majority in the Commons req
uisite for legislation, and by means Of
which alone he could avert defeat in Par
lament.
For q time it seemed as if Asquith's
representations and hopes were in fair
way of being fulfilled. Indeed, Asquith
was emboldened by the condition of af-
fairs to force some of his former minis
terial colleagues, who had proved inefi-
cient, into the 'oyd George Cabinet,
weakening thereby its hold on popular
confidence. But under all these adverse
anu USCOuI LIZ CiSuaiSeoASOS hwy -
George preserved his head.
Then there came the change, the sud-
den change, in the fortunes Of war and
the succession of victories in Flanders and
France, in Italy, in German East Africa
and recently in the Balkans and in Palcs-
tine. And now the English people have
recalled to mind that the Asquth Premier
ship was identified with failure, and even
defeat, while the Premiership of Lloyd
George has spelled victory and success all
along the line. That is why in response
to Lloyd Georges appeal at the polls in
November they will confide to him their
mandate and the continued direction of
their destinies as Prime Minister of the
Empire.
More Vigorous Policy Is Due.
After that has been accomplished we
may look for much more vigorous policy
on the part of Lloyd George. He will be
freed from the trammels by which he has
until now been bound and INSTRUCTED
He will no longer have to be subservient
to the views of Herbert Asquith and of
the Liberal statesmen who went out with
the Asquith administration. He will be
in a position of unrivalled strength and
unprecedented prestige as Prime Min
lister who is indebted for his election not
to any political party but to the votes
of the vast majority Of his eountrymen
irrespective of party, imbued with ma
tional and patriotic pride, and bent only
on carrying through the war TO a fnal
and conclusive victory.
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