The Washington herald., 1921-07-03
Says Past Week Has Seen
World History Turn Corner
Aroused Wrath of People at Failures of Little
Statesmen" Has Started Return to
Sanity, Gibbs Asserts.

continued from Page One. First Section.
vances in the Interest 0: peace and
CO. operation.
Above all. perhaps. in Importance
to world policy. the British govern
ment. in conference with the inn
perial representatives, has been
faced with the absolute need Of put
ting its own house in order and Of
adopting a spirit of reconciliation.
economy. peace and commonsense In
sll its dealings with its own people
and with foreign powers.
Not Too Hopeful
am not optimistic enough to be-
lieve that all these hopes will b-
fulfilled, or that wisdom IL going
to obtain an immediate and COM
plete victory over folly-for folly IL
firmly entrenched and is very strong
in its defenses-but ! do see In Ger.
tain movements now afoot defi'
mite sign that W. are getting out
of the lower darkness toward light.
must concentrate IN this dis
Patch. however. on what Is happen
ing in my own country, and II 10
very interesting.
Our long period OF apathy, with
the facts bearing down upon our
fate. has stopped. and there 10 .
strong tide running through all
channels OF English life and
thought. our economic position Is
really so serious the IL can no
longer be concealed under political
camounage or lodged by the fancy
arithmetic Of optimistic statesmen.
Our world FOLEY also II chai-
lenged by immense natural forces.
due 10 economic laws. following the
war. In England. Itself. there is
breaking up of all Political parties
and n brt aking down Of all political
creeds. 1t Is the beginning OF the
absolute conclusion of our social
system and the preparation of a new
leadership and new methods.
.CoaiItion Doomed"
The coalition government IL DOOM
ed at last. after long innings wheh
it was in complete mastery OF the
nations life and thought. and Lloyd
George, who, by sheer magic per-
sonality, by wonderful political
alertness, and by exchange and mart
OF principles, is now fighting for his
life against a formidable combina-
tion of enemies within and without
his camp.
Like the old wolf that was the
leader OF his pack until his strength
failed him, he IS now attacked on
all sides by those who followed the
trail with him. He has no FRIENDS
but those who still believe in his
cunning and who are bound to him
by fear and favor. This little
group Of favorites ana parasites
are making desperate efforts TO save
their master lest they themselves
be lost. and. as they dominate the
press Of England. their fight will be
with strong arms and ammunition
but they have overwhelming forces
against them.
The prime ministers most dan
gerous enemies are the Unionist'
Of the coalition who belong TO the
old Tory party by instinct and by
tradition. These men have at last
been scared stiff by the immense
increase in taxation on capital. by
the enormous losses in export trade
and by government waste OF public
money ne. sec AhfiA Nao
threatened with ruin and their po-
litical power extinCuished by the
sudden uprising Of free lance poll
ticians calling themselves anti:
waste candidates. and by the rapid
advance Of the labor ranks in the
political world.
Fear Pyrrhie Victories.
Instinctively and Intellectually
they are opposed to Lloyd Georges
methods of buying OF the Danes
like King Alfred-that is to say
by keeping labor quiet with un-
employment pensions. subsidies for
improbable industries. and IN
creased wages under pressure oil
strikes. For a long time they gave
him a free hand that way. because
IL kept them in office. but now they
see their Offices are doomed IL that
policy is continued. and afterwards
feel they will not onry be doomed
but damned.
So there has been a secret con-
spiracy among them during recent
days to throw the pilot overheard
Indeed. it has been almost a mutiny
and Lloyd George would have been
deposed already il Andrew Bonar
Law had been willing 10 betray
him.
On the other side. Liberal mem
bers Of the coalition have been
plotting busily. They see there will
soon be a breakup Of the present
system and that they will have
to stand alone again before the
public with what rags of liberalism
they can cling to as cover for
their nakedness. For their liberal
ism was swamped by the Tory spirit
OF the coalition. and they have
many sins on their conscience whicn
they are now protesting. with many
promises OF contrition and amend
ment. to small groups OF 1ndepend-
ent Liberals who have departed
from them and scorned them.
Liberals SEEK Program.
over breakfast tables and Iuncn-
con tables. which is our English
way, they are trying to get to-
gether again and formulate a new
program OF liberalism, with or
without Lloyd George. as they think
will pay them best.
Their old leader. in spite OF his
wizardry. is no longer a safe card.
BY his recent defiance OF labor. in
order to placate the Tory wing OF
his coalition. he lost his place with
democracy. They have vowed ven
geance against him, and they will
have It. although they wait ten
years or more for It. His support
Of a coercive policy in ireland also
raised hordes or enemies against
him and a. is donhtful whether the