New-York tribune., 1919-04-22
Lloyd George $
Defeat Planned
BY Nortlncliffe
British, Publisher Prepares
to Overthrow Premier:
First Battle Expected on
the Chamberlain Budget
Neic Yo,Io Tribune
E,irnrsuu RUr<1ll


European Bureau
(Copyright 1919. New York Tribune lnc)
LONDON, April 21.-The Easter re
cess is giving the politicians an oppor-
tunity to lay their plans for a battle
while is likely to involve the Premier
ship of England. The first battle,
which may be decisive, probably will
come when Austen Chambe rlain intro
duces his budget at the reassembing
of Parliament.
BY that time it is expected the Paris
conference viii have completed the
the government Will no longer have to
face the charge of injuring Britan's
International position by their desire to
make domestic changes The budget,
which is bound to hit all classes. viii
serve as good weapon to use against
the government
Lord Northchffe. who is a crafty,
savage fighter, pretends in his papers
thai Lloyd Georges attack is hardly
worth considering, but it is plainly
evident that the publisher is planning
10 overthrow tho Premier at the first
opportunity that presents itself.
When Northclifre strikes it will be no
gentle blow, but a thrust backed by
all the power of the publisher, who
controls as many politicians as news
papers and that is considerable
handful
Northclffes Failure Predicted
]. J. Garvin, keen political eX-
pert, says Northcnlie is doomed to de-
feat ii he tries to unhorse the Pre-
mier in the near future, because lloyd
George il moving steadily toward the
Left, enlisting new supporters from
the ranks OF the radicals. One rumor
has it that Lord Northcl,iTe will try to
defeat the Premier in the Commons and
then. without dissolution Of Paria-
headed either by Lord Robert Cecil
or Winston Churchill. Little faith is
put in thia rumor for several reasons.
! In tho first place, Lord Robert Cecil
/ der such conditions, and Churchill is
too dependent upon the Premier to nj
low himself TO be used by Lloyd
Georges enemies. Rcsiocs, there ia
no certainty that majority could
be obtained against Lloyd George in
tho present House of Commons ON any
important question.
1t IS much more probablc that North
clitfc Will carry on a campaign of cuti-
cism, hoping thereby to undermine
Lloyd Georges strength in the country
Meanwhile the Premier can pay more
attention to domestic reconstruction
legislation, following fairly closely the
programme laid down by labor.
Can Appeal to Electorate
When he thinks the attacks arc seri-
Gus he can appeal again to the clecto-
rate His National Industrial Counci
gives him excellent material with which
to work. There is always the possible
ity that he can make it almost as i'm
portant as the Commons itself
Northcliffe's great difficulty is tt
find an angle from which 60 fight
Twelve months ago, when he told of hi;
: scheme for resettling soldiers after the
war, he described plan which woult
4 rcvolutionize landownng conditions il
England. These views appeared fire
quently in his papers, and he hardl!
can make an about face at this time
\ 1t might win him Parliamentary sup
port, but would not increase his popu
larity. On the other hand, he car
hardly hope to fight Lloyd George from
positions further to the Left.
Lloyd George no longer enjoys tn
press support which he had during tn
war The British press has recovere,
its independence since the armistce
and its editorial comments are free
, and carry more weight.
BY throwing over Northclife, Lloy,
George gained the support of Libcra
organs such as "The Daily News" 9TH
Westminster Gazette" and "The Star
and did not lnjure his standing in tn
columns Of THE Daily Chronicle.
"The Daily Express" and THE Tele
gram"