The Evening Missourian., 1919-08-26
LABOR PARTY MAY
CONTROL ENGLAND
Downfall of Coalition Gov
ernment Is Generally
Predicted.
PREMIER NOT KNOWN
Labor Is Still Split-If Unit
ed, Then Victory Is
Sure.
By United Press.

LONDON, Aug. 5 (by maiD with
the rumblings of approaching dissolu-
ton shaking the Coalition govern
ment, and recent developments in the
industrial world, all eyes are turned
on the Labor party in the House Of
Commons and the question "How long
before Labor government is in pow
er?' which would have been laughed
at ten years ago, is asked seriously.
Political experts declare that labor
can never expect to find itself in a
more favorable position, politically.
The coalition is doomed, but neither of
the old parties, Liberals and Conserv-
atives, can go back to it's pre-war
status. Many old leaders have been
thrown overheard, policies have been
modified or abandoned, and the break
ing up of the coalition would leave
them uncertain which way to turn, or
who to look to.
Labor is not absolutely united in
Parliament, there being several
groups, known as the Labor party, the
Independent Labor party, the miners
representatives, and numerous free
lances like Col. John Ward, the navy
NJ. P. who was promoted to the COM
mand of battalion in the war, c. B.
Stanton, one-time miners agent, Com
mander ]. 1T. Wedgwood, one time
Liberal, and Jack JONES', the common
peoples member" from east London
The Independent Labor party con-
tains the ''intellectuals' like Philip
Snowden. Ramsay Macdonald, Sidney
Webb and other regular socialists, but
for the purposes of Labor govern
ment they would unite with the
larger group. And in the two groups
there are many good men, who would
doubtless make excellent statesmen
and who would have the support Of
people ordinarily bitterly hostile tc
labor.
There are George N. Barnes, cabinet
minister, who fathered the labor cove
nant of the Peace Treaty; G. H. Rob,
erts, food controller in the present
government; Stephen Walsh, William
Brace, Vernon Hartshorn, Will
Thorne, James O'Grady; ]. H. Thorn
as, railwayman's leader; William
Adamson the official leader of the
Labor Party; Arthur Henderson anC
Robert Smillie, president of the Min.
ers' Federation of Great Britain.
Of these Smillie stands out mos
prominently, from the vigorous part
he has taken in the settling of post.
war labor PROBLEMS, and he is proba.
bly, the most powerful man in the la.
Dor world today. Whether he or any
fthe others have the makings of 6
premier remains to be seen but they
have fine chance just now to for
mulate smashing, reasoned program
and secure the spoils of office.
1t is practically certain that labor
today, could, defeat both of the old po
litical parties working independently
and the proposed Center party, com
bination of the two, could not be GER
tam OF securing majority over tine
united ranks of parliamentary labor
The formation of new party is al
ways source of strength to it's op
ponents, for secessions are inevitable
and in the uncertainty Labor woul,
undoubtedly gain many recruits.
The main problem for Labor t,
solve is whether the extremists are t.
prevail. At the last election the ex
tremists were roughly treated at tn
polls, but while there has been tn
inevitable reaction since the singin
of peace, their policy is not popular
If the moderates like Adamson, Brace
Barnes, Thomas and Roberts can re
tain control Labor cabinet is NO
only possible but extremely probable