Evening star., 1922-01-08
LLOYD GEORGE SEES
VICTORY AT.P0LLS.
British Politicians More Alert
Than Since 1s1s-Kaiser
Still 'Unhuig,' Critics Say.
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily New
Copyright 49,.


: By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
: Copyright. 1872.
. LONDON, England, January D.
= Great Britain is buzzing with general
election talk. Politicians, male anu
female, are more, alert and active
than they have been since December
1918, when the present coalition gov
ernment achieved power on the cry
Hang the kaiser.' and search the
Germans pocketsr Independent ana
- liberal critics point out that tne
kaiser is still unhanged and that the
Germans pockets are unsearched, at
least in the sense of the coalition
~-sr cry. Yet there seems no DOUBT
that Lloyd George and his unionist
Colleagues intend to go before the
country either in a few weeks or at
the latest next fall.
VIII Ask Mandate.
They will ask for a fresh mandate
on economy, trade and European
policy. They will define their atti-
tude on the grave questions of un-
employment and taxation. Legally.
the coalition has no reason to ask
for the votes of the people now. The
present parliament has two years to
run in order to complete the hve
years of life stipulated by the parlia-
ment act. Independent liberal and
government is throwing the country
into the turmoil of a general election
for purely party reasons, whereas. II
should be attending to its job OF end
ing government waste, solving the
problem of unemployment and push
France and the other allies as to the
reconstruction of Europe.
Lloyd George sticks to UniOnists.
Div tote
stick to the unionists for the present.
His coalition liberals and all the
independent liberals they can attract
will form the liberal wing of the
coalition army in the coming cam
paign. There will be two parties
with one program. These parties will
unite in action against independent
liberals, laborites and any other can
didates who may take the field In
opposition. 1t is expected that the
labor party will have between 800
and 400 aspirants for parliament.
Probably score or more women
will< seek election, and among them
will be Lady Astor and Mrs. Min
rringham, who are now members.
Lloyd George and his official family
will not admit that they want an
election now for party reasons. They
say they want a fresh mandate Tor
patriotic reasons. They face many
difficulties, some actual and imme-
diate and some contingent. If France
cannot be won over to what the Brit.
ish government regards as essential
to the restoration of European pros
perity and to Anglo-French co-opera-
tion the British government will be
confronted by the question whether
and how it shall act alone.
Feels He Will he Stronger.
Lloyd George feels that with a great
electoral victory he will be infinitely
stronger for the heavy burdens he
and his government are trying to
carry. 1t is clear that the prime min
ister's plans for an early election do
Chamberlain, their leader. and Sir
George Younger. their chief organizer.
together with the principal conserVa-
tive newspapers. favor the coalitions
carrying on" at least until IT can
reform the house of lords in man
ner designed to curb the "confiscatory
predictions of the labor party
should the latter gain power:
Lloyd George is not afraid of the
labor party. He views it's imposing
host of prospective candidates indicates Win .h.a
Great Britain e1tically is demo
cratic and not a class country. Mr.:
Younger argues that an election would
disturb business. Lloyd Georges
friends ansusSr 4hatit would not. be-
the same day whereas they used to
go on for a month They also argue
that the hoHse-of lords can be re-
formed as quickly and with more au-
thority after.selacti.n than before.
The Northciffs newspapers call the
proposed election. an e1ectioneering
trick" Impartial Judges have no
doubt that however strong an argu-
ment Lloyd George and his friends
think they can, produce for an imme-
diate election, they speedily would
discover a contrary argument if they
did not deem the present the proper