The New York herald., 1922-03-04
DIE HARD UNIONISTS
ARE NOT REPENTANT.
Continued from First Page.

the Unionist Ministers In the Cabinet
Arthur J. Balfour and Austen Chamber
lain---rnay publicly reprove Younger FOR
his tactics, as Lord Birkenhead has
already DONE
Not the slightest repentance has yet
been shown by the die hard" Conser-
yatives, whose opposition to the leader
ship of the Prime Minister Is primarily
responsible for the present crisis. They
are cooperating with the Ulsterites In
the House of Commons I'm putting up a
stiff fight against the free state bill by
presenting amendment after amendment
In addition. it is stated that the Union
list leaders are receiving from all over
the country communications promising
loyal adherence to the Unionist party,
but declining to extend that adherence
to the coalition This Is really approval
of the position assumed by Sir George
Younger and the present Indications are
that the party will refuse to depsse him.
There Is much insistence on the view
that Mr. Lloyd George has arrived at
point in his political career where he
must define whittier his future path will
lead-toward Liberalism or Conserva-
tism.' Since he became leader OF .he
coalition under the abnormaf circum-
stances of war requiring national,
not party, policy. his political colorlng
has been In abeyance.
According to some beliefs his present
action Is bid for leadership, of the
Unionist party, and that If this fails
there are two alternatives before him
first, TO form q new Centrist party, and.
second, to try to go back TO leadership
of the Liberal or Liberal Labor party.
There already is evidence from the sec
ton OF Liberals represented by the
Manchester Guardian that such devel-
ment would not be altogether unwel-
come, though a great mass Of liberal
and labor opinion sthi Is far from recon-
ciled to such an idea.
Austen Chamberlain speech at Ok
ford tonight leaves the situation vir-
tually unchanged. 1t only committed the
Unionist Ministers, who were already
known to support the coalition, when
he announced that after consulting his
colleagues in the Cabinet he had given
Mr.. Lloyd George a unanimous reply
that they considered It necessary in the
national interest that the Premier should
continue to carry on the Government.
Mr.. Lloyd George Mr. Chamberlain
continued. .asked me formally to confer
with my party and let him have their
reply. have consulted them and we
have unanimously replied that we have
W tOIlSiutT thc Ddtlou0i iillGIcStS anu
also the interests of our own party and
that we must take the broad and long
view and that they would not he served,
but would be injured. by the Prime Min
lister resigning.
I'VE have told him that we value his
leadership in the Government and the
Cabinet, that we value the cooperation
OF his Liberal colleagues and that we
think no Government constituted as a
purely party Government could have
brought the country through the dangers
Of war as his combination has DONE"
Mr. Chamberlain referred to the Irish
settlement as having been "a shock to
some of our oldest friends but declared
he had nothing but high regard for the
men who differ from u.s."
II look forward to the time when this
question Is removed and we shall CO.
operate as Loyalty as we have done for
many years past" the speaker said.