New-York tribune., 1922-11-05
British Suddenly Facing
Bitter Election Contest
Lloyd George Employs Useful Preroga,ive in Battle
for Political Life; Sir George
Younger Chief Foe

literature. leaflets and posters: for
sne services also Of firm OF bill
posters--able to guard It's hoardings
against possible raids from the
enemies camp as we'll as plaster them
with the candidates posters; and for
the hiring in the various polling dis
tricts of committee rooms from which
tho organization Of the bands OF can
yassers will be directed.
The enrolling Of small ar,ny Of
canvassers-all voluntary workers---is
corollary to the securing of com
mittee rooms. 1t Is the business of the
agent to know the potential workers for
the cause, while it Is the task of the
candidate himself to visit each Of his
party strongholds in turn to stimulate
the zeal of his supporters. Another
matter which has to be taken in hand
well In advance Of the election is the
preparation of register Of all auto
mobiles and other vehicles available
for use on the polling day for bringing
up incapacitated supporters, or those
who have removed to another district
from that In which they are entitled
to vote.
But back Of the organization In the
constituencies are the party headquar-
ters upon whose staff work the success
Of the campaign largely depends. Its
generals are the recognized party lead
ers, but the men who really count for
most whom 1t comes to election time are
tho less known heads Of the respsc-
tive party machines, most of whose
work Is done IN the background. Sir
George Younger for the Conservatives,
Charles A. McCurdy for the lloyd
George Liberals, Lord Gladstone for
the Asquith Liberals, Arthur Hender-
son for the Laborites--these are the
big men behind the scenes In the cleo
toral battle.
Sir George Younger Lays
Plans for Party Success
An active and alert figure despite his
seventy years, Sir George Younger has
come into unusual prominence due to
his not infrequent clashes with Lloyd
George. He got the better Of the ex-
Prime Minister in staging the general
election Of 1918, when he was able to
plant an overwhelming Tory majority
In the House by careful distribution
Of the Coalition Coupon" Early this
year he succeeded In vetoing Lloyd
Georges plan for spring election.
His consistent object has been that his
party should emerge from the next
election with its ranks unbroken, and
since he took charge Of the party ma
chine ne has firmly set his face against
taking Office in the government, due to
his desire to act as an independent
trustee for his party. he faces the
election with the reputation Of having
made the Unionist electoral organiza-
tion the most efficient Of all parties.
Least enviable of all the party chiefs
Of staff is Charles McCurdy, Lloyd
Georges manager. The Asquithian
Liberals got away with most Of the
Liberal party organization whom they
broke away from Lloyd George, and
McCurdy has had to do his best to
improvise machine. He has not been
conspicuously successful. Having local
organizations in only q few areas, he
has had to fall back on professional
organizers, who have relied on house
to house visits rather than public
meetings. The Lloyd George Liberals
have built up very expensive organ
ization in London, but In the country
their machinery Is patchy In the ex-
treme and, according to the jesr Of
both Unionists and Asquithian Liber-
als, 1t consists Of officers with no
troops.
Lord Gladstone, who controls cab
ingdon Street" as the Asquithian LIB
eral machine is called, was suddenly
called in to control it last January,
when 1t was generally belived that he
had taken leave Of active politics. His
name revived the Gladstonian tradi-
tion, which still counts In the Liberal
ranks, and he had much earlier ex-
perience as chief whip. Like Sir
George Younger he prefers local can
didates, and only reports to the Gear
petbagger," as an imported candidate
Is known, when no local man Is avail
able or would be acceptable. Both
believe in stimulating local initiative |
and both have encouraged the develop
ment of organizations likely to in
duence the women's vote. Lord Glad
stone was the objective Of peculiarly |
savage attack by Lloyd George in his |
.ecent speech at Manchester, when he |
described Lord Gladstone as "the best |
living embodiment oe the Liberal
doctrine that quality is not heredi-
cary" adding that "there is no more
ridiculous spectacle on the stage than
. dwarf strutting before the footlights
n garments he has inherited from
giant" The violence of Lloyd Georges
attack upon him is, perhaps, fair
estimate of Lord Gladstone's success
1T Abingdon Street.
Arthur Henderson Holds