New-York tribune., 1921-03-25
- 7stEl 747
Lloyd George
Nearing Fall,
Foes Believe
British Premier Being Forced
Toward General Election
Which Will Defeat Him,
His Opponents Assert
AT Bay on Irish Policy
Its Collapse, Coupled With
Attack OH Labor, Declared
Too Much to Surmount
By Arthur S. Draper

From The Irttuts's European Bureau
Copyright. 1921. New York Tribune Inc.
LONDON, March 24.-Premier Lloyd
Georges political enemies are deter
mined he shall not escape from the
embarrassing position into which he
has been forced by the collapse of his
Irish policy. Even the. ability of the
Premier to maaeuver out of difficult
corners is being taxed heavily at pres
ent, and in some quarters it is already
felt that he is opposed by forces that
his opponents feel, they are forcing
[ him toward general election in which
they hope to bring about his downfall.
Lloyd Georges own admission in his
/ speech at the coalition luncheon yes
terday that an increase of a per cent
in the Labor vote would give that party
a clear majority in the House of Com
mons has been taken up by his oppo-
nents, who point out that not one
tenth of the Labor party is in SYM
pathy with the Premier's present Irish
policy The Premier confessed last
night that his Irish policy was a fail
ure, and yet he announced he would GO
. ahead with it, despite the demands. of
the Laborites and the Independent
Liberals, who represent easily more
than a majority of the population.
Jeer at Trade Agreement
Lloyd Georges opponents jeer at the
Anglo Russian trade agreement which
he concluded, despite the fact that only
an exceedingly small part Of British
labor has any sympathy whatever for
the Bolsheviki. Labor leaders say that
the Premier's attacks on socialism and
the labor vote will swelk their power
at the polls considerably. The Asquith
Liberals call his remarks an inspira-
ton for class warfare. The real Con-
servatives, toward whom Lloyd George
seems to be gravitating, are apparently
come any more than they would have
been in the days when he was attack
ing property interests The Conserva
tives ara frankly afraid of Lloyd
George as conservative.
If Lloyd George wants to make labor
an issue at the polls the battle will
gain added interest from the fact that
there are about 100000 unemployed
in this country at present.
Criticisms Of the Premier come from
all sides. Simultaneous with the re-
printing here of Robert Lansing's
caustic comments on Lloyd Georges
methods at the peace conference come
renewed broadsides from the labor and
independent Liberal ranks. To the
Premier's credit it must be said that
rhe-s strongest when forced to fight.
Ridicule Attack on Labor
/ Most of the newspapers ridicule the
Premier's tactics in painting labor III
vivid red. They run their memories
back to that day not so long ago when
many labor leaders were Lloyd Georges
colleagues and members of his Cabinet.
They recall too that only two days ago
lloyd George referred to Lenine as
reasonable man who had been taught
better. Most of the newspapers seem
to believe the attack on labor was a
political move, designed principally to
divert attention from the governments
policies toward Ireland and Germany.
Lloyd Georges enemies accuse him
of concentrating on the local political
situation, to the detriment of Great
Britain's international relations. One
newspaper points out that he is guilty
of the same act of which he accused
Lord Rosebery when the latter was
Premier and that he has turned COM
plete somersault since his Limehouse
days. In the Premier's speech the In
dependent Liberals find key to his
switch at the Allied conference in Paris
in January, when he accepted the
French policy toward Germany, and
more recently at the conference here,
when he completely changed his stand
overnight.
On the matter of foreign olicy
good case can be made out on both
sides, and the Premier's enemies will
find it difficult to defeat him on that
score alone. But on the Irish policy
there is only one side, since the Pre-
mier's confession of failure. The
coming elections in Ireland will in
tensify rather than simplify the situa-
ton