The New York herald., 1922-10-20
Fall of the Coalition Ministry.

Fall of the Coalition Ministry.
The inevitable has come TO pass in
British politics The Coalition Gov
ernment of DAVID LLOYD GEORGE has
fallen asunder.
But the wonder of it is not that it
has now ended: the wonder is that
it has endured as long as it has. For
this union of Conservatives and Lib
erals was under normal eircum-
stances strange marriage. 1t came
about, in fact, as nothing more and
nothing less than a war measure.
That il did not end soon after, the
war. that it lasted for three years
after the war, is a fact which few
minds could have pictured when the
two great opposing political parties
of the United Kingdom got together
under the leadership of LLOYD GEORGE
in the darkest hour the British EN-
pire had known since the dominance
of NAPOLEON over Europe
No doubt the Coalition Government
even with all there was yet tobe done
in Europe, could not have continued
for three years after the war if it had
not been for the matchless personal
ity and the matchless ability of LLOYD
GEORGE, coupled with the fact that
in the opposition persistently assail-
ing him for months past there was
no outstanding figure comparable to
him in national popularity or party
leadership.
I And the extraordinary thing about
The fall of his Ministry now is that
his political enemiesshave undone his
Government with their attacks on
his recent Turkish stand. But it is a
certainty that If he had not done
what he did in resisting the military
advance of the Turks into Europe, If
he had not taken the strong meas
ures for which his hostile critics have
assailed him with unbridled bitter
ness, the Turkish situation together
with the European situation involved
in TIE Near East question would now
be infinitely worse than it is. And
il is no less a certainty that the in
trepid course of LLOYD GEORGE in re-
straining the Turk aroused the over
whelming approval of American SEN
timent.
What will come of this situation
now no man can tell. If the so-called
die hard Conservatives undertake to
form a Government LLOYD GEORGE,
judged by his Endorsement Of AUSTEN
CHAMBERLAIN's appeal less than a
week ago., may try to help. But II
there Is no Conservative big enough
and strong enough to head the Gov
ernment as Prime Minister, or IL the
Conservative leaders insist upon an
election, as they wish to do, DAVID
LLOYD GEORGE may go into the field
with call to his old Liberal party to
come to his support at the polls in a
test of party strength against both
the die hard Conservatives on the
one hand and the emboldened Radi-
Gals on the other hand. In that role
he could play a mighty part.
There is no doubt about the enor-
nous popularity of LLOYD GEORGE
with the British middle classes, the
backbone of the Liberal party. Ele-
ments that have slipped away from
the Liberal party in its Conservative
alliance might readily return to it
with enthusiasm under LLOYD GEORGE,
who had done so much for the Brit
ish masses in his years of conflict
with the Tories.
His preeminent qualities of leader
ship, his splendid ability in the enor-
mously difficult business OF Govern
ment, his truly marvellous successes
during the war and after the war in
world situations of the first magni-
tude-all these facts and clrcum-
stances might again present LLOYD
GEORGE to the British electorate with
the most powerful appeal that any
party chieftain could make. Let no
body be surprised il he does that
very thing.