Evening star., 1922-07-09
Unrneasured Credit Is Due
Lloyd George for Leadership

the hands Of q really great man.
Candof compels me to admit, how.
ever, that the viscount Is much
like two or three Americans /
might name. who are men OF
brains. great capacity, courage and
patriotism, but who do not appeal
for one reason or smother to the
popular mind. In these days Of
modern democracy. one of the
prime requisites for the success
either Of . principle or of a career
is ability to catch the public eye
and ear. not only to catch them
but to hold therfi:1 In an England
there II none SO successful at this
az David Lloyd George.
As an observer Of British poll
tics and British politicians, have
been seeking to ascertain what
confronting the empire. How LONG
the government can manage to
keep going with the present fiscal
! condition IL q problem to the
stranger. A gradual increase Of
Indebtedness II due In part to the
fact that legislation arising out Of
the war 10 still in effect. What is
known As the. dole" or. the gov,
ernments contribution to those
who are out Of work is still being
paid. To It has been added the
dole" authorised by certain bor-
oughs. with the result that in
some horoughs loahng pays bet
ter. than working. This situation
Is disturbing oficia1 circles and
furnishes the never ending sub
ject Of discussion among the mid
die classes. 1t has its relation to
the labor party and to the trades
= n
! pause to make observation Of
a very remarkable difference be-
tween thought in Britain and
America relative to the wage
question. A superintendent Of one
of our American railroads told me
some weeks ago that his men ac-
knowledged with tears in their
eyes that they recognized the ne
cessity for 4 reduction Of their
pay and would consent to It II 1t
were not for the fact that their
wives had threatened to leave
them II they did. They explained
that their wives had grown ac-
custonied to plenty of money and
would not stand for their hus-
bands voluntarily submitting to
the wives Of workmen are said to
be willing torego part of the war
increases in order to prevent
strikeh. They are quoted as point
: ing out that they are the real
sufferers when suspension OF work
occurs and that the dole" finds
its way to the public house or to
the home. The British labor
party and trades union properly.
are considering what effect this
attitude Of the women may have
on their future prosperity.
I learn from sources which I
must believe that the trades union.
which was Of incalculable benefit
to the British workmen up to
twenty years ago, and which man
ifested political power in the labor
party, has gradually become arro-
CANT and dictatorial. Instance 10
cited that there Is to be presented
at the labor party meeting to be
held shortly in Edinburgh q reso-
luton to the effect that no mem
ber Of the labor party shall be a
privy councillor or a Free Mason.
It 80 happens that both Mr.. Burns
and Mr. Thomas are privy coun-
,cilors. It seems incredible that
tho resolution will pass. 1t scarce
ly seems possible that 2 political
party would become, So obsessed
with tho idea that 1t may control
tho Judgment, conscience and pri-
vate conduct of its members as
to attempt suicide by throwing
them out. 1t 10 another case of
power becoming despotic when not
seem 10 forget that whenever 4
political party attempts to own
the private thought and to control
the personal conduct of It's MEM
bers, 1t 10 far on its way to dis
Solution.
Right-thinking men the world
around are willing to respect the
dignity and rights Of labor. but
In Great Britain. a. in America.
the old-fashioned demand OF q
good days work for q good days
wage 10 being revived A. q stimu-
luS to national prosperity. The
employer who dreams that the
wage IL going back to Its pre-
war standard has not read the
times Alright. Wages advance and
recede, but each recession is short
or than the advances.
Britain hopes to rule the world
as we'll as the waves. but the
empire will need to settle some
Of Its vexed economic problems IL
It is to enlarge its present prestige.
tCopyright, 1927, BY Thomas =. Narshall.