The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-20
PARLIAMENT NEAR
BREAKING POINT
Giant Tasks Of the Empire Too
Great for Inexperienced
Legislators.
EXECUTIVE POWER GROWS
Feeling Increases That Pres
ent System Is Unable to
Meet Emergencies.
Special Gable Despatch TO The Sun.
r......It 1910. 0u efnhg, r.s<S.<l


LONDON, Feb 1e.-Great Britain's new
Parliament has reached what many re-
card as the breaking point. It Is simply
a case of an inexperienced legislative
,ody being thrown together to meet an
emergency which requires the utmost
wisdom and experience
Emergency methods are now being in
troduced to relieve terrific pressure OF
work and this undoubtedly will bring
about an empasse. It Is probable a d.
vision may come in the Governments
plan to remove important decisions in
the finances from the House OF Com
mons and place this responsibility on a
small committee.
This tendency to diminish the power
OF the House of Commons. which Is in
creasing the executives power, has
brought forth a loud wall Of objections
from members who wish to guard
sgainst encroachments by executives.
The unrest and distrust among all
classes In England can be traced d.
rectly to the fact that the governing sys-
TEN is unable to meet the demands Of
the present time. The Westminster
Gazette, in a leading article, says the
governing system Is breaking down. 1t
says: Parliament has far more work
on It's shoulders than II can possibly per-
form efficiently. This work cannot
brook delay. so the executive empowers
Itself to use short cut methods of par
lamentary debate and scruting. The
result. clear to every one, is national
disaster and a wave Of strong radical
ism running through the country with a
rredominantly Tory house to meet 1t.
System Breaking Down.
what we urgently need IL a repre-
sentative system that will save us from
this dangerous situation produced by the
last election. We also need a real i'm
berial Parliament, aside from the do
nestle Parliament; the imperial Par
lament to handle foreign, or world az
fairs. with the domestic Parliament de-
voting Its energies to home affairs, We
are so tangled up between domestic and
world affairs that none can say who
really control. or whether we are still
living under a war Cabinet which APP
pears to be mainly in Paris.
This state OF affairs cannot continue.
We must face the facts that our gov
erning system has broken down"
While this opinion Is from an Asquith-
Ian Journal. it is verified by the papers
which back Lloyd George.
Lloyd George Strong.
There is plenty Of evidence that the
Lloyd George Government Is strong
enough to get on its feet. but to do this
there must be infringement upon the
rights OF the House OF Commons
With Germany kuuckling to the Allies
under the new armistice conditions there
is likely to be a lifting of the blockade.
There Is nothing official on this. but
various items pieced together indicate
the probability OF immediate action. Al
though the Allies do not want Germany
10 gain n trade impetus quickly there
is demand on the part OF British.
French and American business men TO
start activities in the Eastern coun-
tries. where tremendous opportunities
await them.
A party of twenty American engineers
recently left London for the Rumanian
oil fields. where they are to begin re-
construction work. With them went
party OF American and British business
men who intend to look into the posi-
hities of opening the trade routes into
Russia and the Balkan countries.
Germans in n League.
A recent gigantic German trade con-
ference was convened IN Berlin 10 Jake
UP the question of expanding German
trade and to combat Anglo American
trade invasion on the Continent. One
Ct the facts revealed at the conference
was that all the great German Indus
trialists recently met at Gena and
Joined themselves into league OF trade
and industry for joint prosecution OF
their interests abroad. This congress
appealed TO the conference at Weimar
!or the Immediate cancellation of all
war time restrictions on trade as first
urgent need Of the hour.
The chairman OF the German potash
syndicate recently arrived at Spa to
Negotiate for the immediate export to
the United States OF $4,000 tons OF pot
ash and fertilizing salts. These con-
s.gnments are ready for shipment and
Will he sent as soon as American food
arrives at Cologne. The Gazette states
that henceforth there are to be regular
exchanges OF German potash for Amer
i0sn food.
A. the Berlin congress one OF the
Epeakers pointed out that Germans pol
Icy in the past had mistakenly brought
On armed conflict with France and Rus
s'a. while Gernany's one great trade foe
was Great Britain. who had gone to
war for the sole purpose OF crushing
commercial Germany. because 100000
Frtons we're emigratins yearly because
Of lack OF employment"
ProSasels were Hrede at the congress
FOR 4 Permanent trade pariiamenC With
exclusive political power over business