The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-27
LLOYD GEORGE AND
 ASQUITH DEBATE ON
 LIBERAL LEADERSHIP
Premier Defends Attack on Labor Party, for hich He Is Condemned By
 Asquith
By Associated Pres,

London. March 26.-Premier Lloyd George and Herbert H Asquith, former premier and member of the House of Commons for Paisley. are conducting an informal debate over the right to claim the leadership of the liberal party incidentally the question who will be the predominant figure in the national liberal club, the party's head quarters, is involved. MT. Asquith's supporters arranged a luncheon in his honor at the club last Wednesday, and the premier's liberal followers organ ized a luncheon in honor of MT. Lloyd George today.
 In his speech at today's luncheon, Premier Lloyd George defend his at tack of last week on the labor party. for which he has been condemned by both the labor party and the party of MT. Asquith.
 "The programme of the labor party is to put an end to the capitalistic sys- tenn and create a cooperative com plonw edith" he declared.
 q have read carefully everything said by MT. Glynes (John Robert Glynes. laborite) and MT Henderson (Arthur Henderson, laborite), and all the apologies of the labor party. Not che of them denies that the doctrine of the labor party is doctrine of com munism.
 Tt is said by some that the doc- Urine is not sincere that common own ership is only put into the labor pro- Sramme in order to conciliate sec ton of the party. That is a very dam gerous thing in these days. These are tropical days, when seed put into the ground spreads. sprouts and brings fcrth fruit with startling rapidity
 I .s..-, 4 kind in the forefront of the programme Of a powerful party and then say they mean nothing.
 Suppose the labor party won a gen. eral election and formed a govern ment You may say MT. Glynes and MT. Henderson are moderate men who would not do these things, but they would have to do them or break faith with the people who put them in power. We cannot take any chances in these revolutionary days. The nation must realize what the labor programme means, then make it's choice with it's eyes open.
 'The labor programme is not move ment started among the working classes. It comes from group of men who have received a lop-sided educa- tion, who have had no experience of affairs or of work in factory. shop or office and who call themselves intel lectuals.
 "A vast majority of the working classes have repudiated that programme and the common sense of the working classes will save them right to the end"
 Replying to Mir. Asquith's reference to him as a "demagogue," Mir, Lloyd George said the term had been applied to some of the greatest men in his tory.
 'Tt is an epithet which has always been hurled by the dull and pompous against any man who has a greater power of appealing to the masses thar they have" he declared
 The next event at the Liberal Cut is a dinner in honor of Mir Asquith commemorating his election to the house of commons. at which the presi. dent of the club, Lord Lincolnshire will preside.
 This function was arranged before the split between MT. Asquith and Pre-. mier Lloyd George became acute, and some of the premier's followers are now removing their names from the list of subscribers to the dinner.