Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-10-23

IsNhen we are through WIFI liIe .NV"4
/ Eastern crisis-there is much virtue
! in a "when"-there will be q great
cleaning I'D in British domestic poll
tics. il is not only Constantinople
| Turkey or the Near East that IS IN
/ the melting pot. SO also in our little
sphere of home are Mr.. Lloyd George
! and his. fortunes. The future OF the
coalition between Conservatives and
| Liberals. the hopes of the Labor men
and of. Independent Liberals and the
ambitions of the Conservatives &c
have again a party and ministry OF
their own.
All the political kites and vultures
are in the air. watching for the dlsso-
luton of a ministry which they think
NAV prove to have been morta!iy
stricken by its own action in the han
ding Of the crisis. The Labor party
and the independent Liberal leaders
(Asouith. Grey MacLean) are a
party opposition and they nave no'
forgotten the golden road to success,
! in party warfare: The business Oh
an opposition is 20 oppose.
The Conservatives, being a part OF
the coalition, are heavily compromiS-
ed ~bv the blunders and failures OF
the ministry, but for long time, lea
I by their die-hards. they have been
! looking forward TO the time hen they
would win free of a Liberal Premier
whose policy many Of them hate, es'
neciallv in regard to Russia and to
ireland, and would establish them
selves once more as 4 national Con-
servative p2"ty.
All sections alike recognize that
the Near Eastern trouble is turn
ing point, that it viii profoundly af-
feet public opinion and that its IN
! fluencc may be decisive at the polls
when the next election comes. MIR.
Lloyd Georges stock has sunk heavl-
! ". Some OF his friends cry urgently
to him to resign and 20 into retire
ment for the time believing that wnen
he energies he will be able, by hee9
force of superior personality, to gain
the leadership Of the whole Liberal
party. And, indeed partly through
their own. follies and partly through
the unkindness Of fortune, the govern
ment and Mr.. Lloyd George have ex-
posed themselves to very serious "a
tack. Thus:
|. The Government backed the
wrong horse in Asia Minor, q horsr
so wrong that some critics say it was
dead when they backed it.
Now, England did the same thinS
in the Crimean War, but no one found
it out for - wears. So It did not ma
ter-at least to the statesmen respon-
sible. But the Greek horse actually
collapsed under our eyes, and that,
too within a few weeks Of Mr.. Lloyd
George publicly vouching for its splen-
did racing qualities, 50 tl.at all Athens
Put flags cut in his honor.
Morally, to have backed the Greeks
was Y2ry much moro honorable than
to have Supported the Turks Gas the
Frcrch djd}. alth ugh M. Georges
opponents do not allow him the slight
est credit for having done the morally
rioht thing. But Of course, to have
supported Tie losing side IS grave
reflection on his sagacity and fore
| sight and there is not the slIghtes;
doubt that his policy would have been
very difficult had he known how lar
the Greeks had become demoralized
and how unequal to the task which,
with his APPROVAL and encouragement
they had taken up in Asia Minor.
.. The Government has brought
this country to the brink of war. Bu!
the country does not want war, and,
so far as can be judged, does not be-
lieve that it would be worth while to
incur the horrors and incalcuable
dangers of war for the sake OF any
principle that is at sake in the Near
! East.
Public opinion would take the same
view if England had been certain OF
having France and Italy on her side
in such a war, but England would IN
fact have been isolated and LETT to
fobt alone. A very bitter attack has
been delivered ON the Government
from all quarters because OF It's rash,
ness in pursuing separate policy
instead of cooperating with France
In this attack Independent Liberals
like Lord Grey (always the falthfu I
adherent of the French connection)
have made common cause with the eX-
tremists of the Labor party ana the
Jrnkers of the Morning Post; Bat
it is much easier to criticize the Pre-
mier for Separate action" than to eX,
plain how it could have avoided II
without risking the loss OF pretty well
everything that had been won in the
war-and great many thousands o.
British and Australian dead he on
the Gallipoli peninsula.
1t is impossible to understand the
history of this crisis at all unless onI
bears in mind that the French gov
ernment, for all practical purposes
broke away from England when, last
wear. it made separate and private
agreement with the Kemalist at An
pora, At that time England, France
and Italv were ostensibly IN concer'
together: then France sent NJ. Frank
Iin.Boullon to Angora and he agreed
in return for certain concessions II
! Asia Minor. that France would lenc
general support to the Turkish de
mands. ,o,.
This was at first only an agreement
obtained privately and informally by
him. hut the French Government &C