The Washington herald., 1918-09-22
ENGLAND TO VOTE ON WAR
AT ELECTIONS THIS FALL
Lord Lansdowne Heads British Bolshevik
Party Against Prime Minister in Campaign
for Loyalty Pledge at Voting Polls.

are fighting for democracy We are
| lighting for a cause not worth a drop
Of blood and we had better stop.
TO Lord Lansdowne and those who
J think with him. this war is a war
for honor and glory and the expan-
| sion and enrichment of the British
Empire. Lord Lansdo~ne thinks the
risks OF social upheaval are so great
! that 1t would be better TO stop now
and forego profit and glory IL honor
is satisfied. There he differs from
! most of the Leading Tories. who are
determined to beat Germany and are
willing to run any risks to do so.
though their political creed does not
! materially differ from that of the
weakened nobleman who was long
one of the leaders of the Tory party"
Political leaders here, In whose
views I have confidence do not think
/ it conceivable that Lloyd George can
be beaten. There 10 not enough nat
ural cohesion between the disaffectcd
groups who will oppose him to make
| their success possible. Rightly or
| wrongly Lloyd George has come to
be identified in the public mind with
| the relentless prosecution OF the war
! and the men who stand against his
candidates will be regarded with sus.
picion.
Speculate On Liberals.
Great curiosity exists as 10 the atti-
tude of Asquith. Viscount Grey. Lord
Haldane and the other great men Of
the defunct Liberal government which
fought the war for more than two
years. 1t is the general opinion that
Asquith Is too acute n politician TO
come out against the prime minister
though many followers of the silver
| tongued orator who so long controlled
the country will fight as hard as they
can. not because they are pro-GeTfnsn
or want to stop the war, but because
| of their pers"r.al bitter hosility to-
wards Lloyd George.
In normal times. just as the Demo
Gratis and Republicans divide the mem
/ bership Of Congress. the Liberals and
{ Tories share the seats in the house
/ of commons. few labor and Irish
members getting in. But low the
country is governed by a coalition
government under an a agreement that
/ whenever. through the death OF a
/ member. an election is necessary. a
member Of the party which won the
i 1910 shall be returned unopposed. On
this basis the election of this year
would result in a house of commons
! Of unchanged political complexion.
! But the issue is complicated by the
rapidly increasing strength of the la
Dor party. due largely TO the new
franchise bill. which doubles the num-
Der Of voters in the country. and on
aoles large number Of women work
ers TO vote
Labor Party on slump.
The labor party is split into SO
( many factions that its chances Of
winning the election, which a few
months ago looked rosy. have now
vanished. II Henderson and Barnes
been able to unite the pacihst or
internationalist wing OF the work
ing class with their own organize
tion. labor might govern England
next year, but in spite OF the mark
ed concessions made by orthodox
labor leaders. to the pacihst mem
bers OF their party. even going so
far as to endorse the proposed
Stockholm conference with the Ger
mans. the split not only continues
but widens. AS a result. in many
/ NOIlS1AbuthSles lHt ldDOG vote VIII DC
I split in the next election between
stalwart workmen who want to win
the war and pacifist candidates who
Will get minority OF the votes.
Nevertheless the labor party is
certain to get many more seats ir
the next parliament than il ever
had before. and its influence on the
government will consequently he
greater. Estimates Of tho number
of labor NJ. P.'s in the next house rur
as high as $50, which is nearly q
quarter of the whole membership
Political observers believe there will
be very few out and out pacifsts
in the next house. and that such no.
torious trouble makers as Ramsay
Mcdonald and Philip Snowden, who
would not be tolerated in any coun.
try where respect for free speech is
not so deeply engrained IL is here
will lose their seats Their angry
constituents have been deandine
that these men resign ever since the
beginning of the war, but there is
no recall in England. and as parlia-
ment has voted its own extension
several times there has been no way
for the people to eject unpopular
members.