The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-10-21
ENGLAND AWAITING
GENERAL ELECTION;
IRISH ISSUE SAFE.
Lloyd George Has "SWord in
Hand" as He Starts Speak
ing Tour-Would Form
Center Party

London, October 20.-In the still
highly speculative political situation
tonight, only two facts stood out as
definite-that there will be almost
Immediately a general ELECTION and
that parliamentary ratification of the
Irish constitution is safely assured.
Andrew Bonar Law, who is to lead
the new government, which will take
the place of that of David Lloyd
George, in a message to an evening
newspaper, confirmed his intention to
ADVISE King George to Immediately
dissolve parliament and added that
this fact would give ample time to
deal with legislation. He did not In
dictate. however. whether the pres
ent parliament would reassemble ac-
cordine to present schedule November
IA to deal with the Irish question or
whether general elections would be
held Immediately and the Irish legis-
lation left to the new parliament.
Either plan would be practicable, the
of the Irish treaty must be effected
before December G. Whichever course
is adopted, Irish legislation is quite
safe from any attempt to Illustrate
an Irish settlement.
Mr.. Lloyd George, in message
sent to William Cosgrave, president
of the Dial Eireann, has removed any
fear of opposition from him in his
new position as leader of the opposi-
ton in parliament. The Marquis of
Salisbury, on behalf of the die
hards." has made a similar promise,
so there is no party in the House
of Commons that is likely to offer
any hindrance TO the carrying of the
Irish treaty into effect
Lloyd George Leaves
The retiring Prime Minister left
today for Leeds with his sword in
his hand, as he asserted in a short
address at the ST. Pancras station
prior to his departure. Although he
delivered five addresses from the rear
Of his car on the way to Leeds, he
has left until tomorrow's speech In
Leeds. any revelation of what his
tactics will be. There is intense
curiosity everywhere as TO what the
line of his peroration will take
whether he has any new domestic re-
forms or legislative plans to propose
as new election battle cry. There
have been rumors that he has some
new plan for unemployment insu-
rance with view to detaching the
labor vote from the Iarbor parry and
bringing it into the fold of his pro-
posed new center party.
The rebel conservatives, who are
headed by Mr.. Bonar Law, Sir George
Younger and Stanley Baldwin, who
l. Oh ~ FOL - ~ fr,tl
George, have contended that they
were trying to get back to the party
system. Only the result of general
elections will show how far they
have succeeded in this intention.
Up to the present the only conse--
quence of their tactics has been add
ing of still another group to the ex-
listing party groups, thereby bringing
the British Parliament still nearer to
the group systems of the European
Parliaments.
Unionfsts Split
Mr.. Lloyd George, who, during the
war. split the liberal party into two
sections has now done the same
thing by the UnioEist party. Thus
instead OF the two original parties
there now are four, with the labor
party making the fifth. There no
longer will be an Irish party, which
for so many years during the great
home rule agitation was able to
dominate the Westminster Parlia-
ment by throwing its 70 members, to
whichever side it chose. With the
five separate parties, 1t is declared
that no single party can form a big
enough bloc to carry on govern
ment not aided by further alli-
ances. 1t has to be remembered
that the whole of the electorate ma
chinery and the funds of the con-
servative party belong to the rebel
lious Younger section of that group.
Mr.. Lloyd George is credited with
intentions to create a center party.
This would necessitate the creation
also of new party machinery and
party funds for the former premier
has no such funds or machinery at
present at his DISPOSAL