Evening star., 1922-03-19
Retirement to Wales Proves
Only to Strengthen Revolt
of Unionists.
WILL NOT MEET DEMANDS
Resignation Would Result in Con-
servative Ministry Headed by
Chamberlain or Birkenhead.
BY ARTHUR $. DRAPER.

by Cable to The Star.
LONDON. March 1S.-The result of
Lloyd Georges attempt to- override
the British political crisis by retiring
to Criccieth. Wales. until the storm
blew over, has been far different
from what the premier hoped and eX-
pected. Instead of weakening, the re-
volt of the die-hard unionist against
the coalition has grown stronger this
week.
The Earl of Derby has taken his
stand for the union!Ss party and
against the coalition. The support of
Edwin s. Montagu's associates was
dismissed. Now even Austen Chamber
lain, government spokesman in the
house of commons. and Sir Arthur
J. Balfour are drifting away from
Lloyd George and back into the camp
of the orthodox conservatives.
End OF Coalition Seems Sure.
With the premier. who has steered
the British political ship with such
mastery skill since 1916. off the
bridge. shipwreck of his coalition Oh
the. shoals of party discord now
seems inevitable. Political observers
say. that when Lloyd George thought
his absence from London would clear
great political miscalculation.
Premier Lloyd George could keep
the. present government in power
longer if he desired. but he does not.
He might meet the demands of his
conservative supporters and every
thing would go along smoothly for a
while. but he will not, because he
knows that showdown must come
eventually and he thinks now is as
good time as any.
The preya ling belief in Darliament-
ary circles is that if and when tine
premier resigns. his successor Will be
Chamberlain or Lord Birkenhead at
the head of unionist ministry. The
conservatives now would have ma
jority in parliament If they were
united. and although they might lose
this majority in general election. II
is possible that a unioniSt ministry
could maintain itself in power for
some time.
No Longer Indispensable.
The great outstanding feature. how
ever. is the fact that Lloyd George is
no longer regarded as indispensable
or irreplacable either by the poll
ticians or by the people.
From a parliamentary point of view
teresting the premier and that is the
fate of the Irish bill, which is now be-
for the house of lords. He must have
that measure enacted or his record for
constructive StateSmanSnlp Will De
sadly incomplete.
There will be fight over the Irish
bill, but it is a safe bet that it will
be passed, and then the political
storm will break. Genoa has become
q secondary consideration and so has
the Anglo-French alliance. There
must be domestic and political re-
organization before the other great
problems of international Importance
can be tackled.
Would Lead Liberal Party.
The conservatives. who now form
the majority party of parliament.
have been divided, but they are COM
ing together rapidly.
The premier will not follow Joseph
Chamberlain's example and swing
from liberal to conservative. He may
become centrist. But his real de-
sire is to be acknowledged the lead
err Of the liberals. a position which
Asnnith will challenge to the bitter
end, because he cannot forgive the
colleague who outmaneuvered him
in 1916. British political observers
believe that the conservatives will
lose their seats at the next election,
while the liberals and labor will
make large gains. but they doubt
whether any party will establish
clear majority in parliament, which
means that some form of coalition
must be made.