The New York herald., 1922-04-02
BRITAIN PREPARES FOR GENERAL ELECTION LIKELY TO BE HELD

nings they will appear in the heavens.
The independent Liberals hate him
because OF the loneliness Of their raft.
The coalition Liberals have become
Conservatives az heart, most OF them
by long association with the minds
with whom they wero always rather in
secret sympathy. The Labor party
hates the magician more than any
man alive because his conservative
acts seem to them a betrayal OF all
democratic principles. and because his
Liberal acts and instincts steal their
own thunder and poach upon their
own preserves.
But in England there are masses OF
men and women who believe that per-
sonality is bigger than party. who
have secret hero worship Of the man
who led the nation TO victory in some
kind Of way, who still thrill to his
spell words. who still believe that
there is some magic in him that would
find a way out of their troubles. and
who think that only he has the cour-
age. audacity and vision to reshape the
international world in such a way that
there would be economic recovery and
the assurance OF peace. It is to that
great body OF opinion that all propa-
ganda is now being directed in Eng
land by Lloyd Georges friends, OF
whom he has but few in the press,
and by his enemies, who are many.
His enemies are in full cry and there
are many barking dogs Shaking
hands with murder is the new hulloa.
Because he wants to make some sea-
sonable arrangement with Russia
which shall bring back one hundred
and fifty million people into the eco
nomio life of the world and create a
great market on reasonable securities
for the manufactured articles Of Eu-
rope and America they think they
have cornered him in a deathtrap.
The Boeey OF BoIshevism.
Shaking hands with murder" is a
good cry. 1t besmirches man. II
raises again in the simple mind the
terrific bogey of Bolshevism. IT en-
ables good Journalists to requote Lloyd
Georges old words OF horror about the
system Of the Bolsheyik regime, and 1t
is not necessary to let people know
that Communism has been scrapped
in Russia and that new menace Will
arise in Europe il Germany alone IS
trading with that country and enter
ing into intimate relations on an eco
nomic basis.
Whether one agrees or not with the
possibility OF dealing with the Rus
sians-and / am strong in the BELIEF
that the time has come when the
world Powers should tackle this RUS
sian problem with strength and cour-
age, imposing conditions in return for
aid--there is no sense. but only an
appeal TO low and foolish passions In
the propaganda directed against Lloyd
George as a pand~E : to murderers.
There is no sense It all in the ter
rife campaign being launched against
the Genoa conference before 1t IS
started. 1t is to prevent Lloyd George
from achieving success in restoring 10
some extent the economic sanity OF
Europe, so that he would go to the
people with the laurels Of victory on
his brow.
Because of desire to drag down
Lloyd George his political enemies
would drag down Europe itself, in so
far as the Genoa conference would lift
it up. | am not Lloyd George man.
| have analyzed his weaknesses and
lis failures with ruthless touch. but
I confess TO disgust when I hear the
baying of hounds hunting one whose
leadership they followed when their
own skins were in jeopardy.
What is happening in England now
is only one more revelation of the way
in which common sense Is dethroned
not only in England but n all coun'
tries when the political propagandists
are let loose. What the world wants,
as I. said last week, is a leader who
can call over the walls Of Parliament
or Congress to an immense store OF
idealism in the hearts OF the common
folk. and by emotionalizing common
sense with a spiritual purpose lead his
people 10 victory. for humanity itself
is beyond the reach OF law and selfish
passions, which are mostly fostered
by the politicians.
Copyright. 1922, by the Mcclure Newspaper
syndicate.