Evening star., 1923-10-14
ISSUE
REVIVED IN BRITAIN
Premier Bruce Speech Brings
TO Fore Old Fight Long
| Lost to Sight.
BY A. G. GARDINER.

Tsy Gable to The Star.
, LONDON, October 13.-Premier
Bruce OF Australia is the man of the
ehour His declaration at the imperial
conference in favor of imperial pref
Ference has revived the embers of a
sgreat controversy which had grown
scold since Joseph Chamberlain's IA
NOUS protectionist crusade.
! The free traders in England have
.resisted all attacks for three-quarters
sof century, but the results of the
NWar and the slump in British industry
shave awakened new hopes in the pro-
.tectionist party. From all sides de-
smandS are being made for tariffs on
imported goods. The silk manufac-
.turers want protection against
French competition. The lace manu-
.facturers of Nottingham and the
.Woolen manufacturers of Yorkshire
care putting forward the same claim.
The farmers are organizing a most
,on food.
Government Is Pledged.
Imperial preference is side issue
of the protectionist controversy. The
.LngliSh farmer has no enthusiasm
s1or the idea, for the only things the
overseas dominions have to offer are
smeat, corn and wool, which compete
manufacturers show no disposition to
place British manufacturers on the
same footing as their own.
The present government cannot
touch the preference or proteceionist
issues boldly, having given an under :
standing at the election not to do so.
tThe view prevails in some quarters
that the government contempla.cS go
sing to the country for a mandate to
deal with the question, but this is un-
ito be lightly handled
Imperial preference involves a tax
on food, and in the present cirCum-
stances of the British working class
that would be an unpopular cry. With
the depression that exists in the in
dustrial centers. and with two mill
lion men unemployed, a campaign in
favor of a tariff on manufactured
goods would be much more dam
gerouS.
. The other outstanding event of the
Imperial conference to date is Lord
Curzon's speech on France and the
Ruhr. He threw little light on the
mystery of Prime Minister Baldwin's s
visit to Premier Poincare. but his
statement that England is waiting
for the next step to be taken by
France is taken as an Indication that
England has gone out of business in
Europe and left the field to NJ. Poin-
care.
The fact is that the French pre-
mier had been allowed so much rope.
and had built up such d dominating
military position, that the. time had
gone by effectively to check him, and
the Curzon note. being belated. has
tizzled out in humiliation and con-
tempt.
Curzon Loses Prestige.
: The prestige of Lord Curzon, as
we'll as the prestige of the country,
now is at its lowest ebb. The public
-at to1N fl,1
debacle hopelessly, while Premier
Poincare tightens his grip on the
Ruhr, and the proclamation of a
Rhineland republic is awaited. The
gathers strength as the collapse of
the Berlin government becomes more
manifest. Informed opinion here an
ticipates the possibility of a nation
alist putsch and open reputation of
the treaty of Versailles, regardless Of
consequences.
Meanwhile. the question whether NJ
Poincare can deliver the goods before
the French elections in the spring
eXcites much interest. The French
peasant wants cash. and if NJ Poin-
care fails to produce cash, the judg-
ment Will go against him.
With politics in allegiance, the pub
lie turns to other preoccupations, in
Guiding the publication of Winston
Churchflfs new book on the war. in
which he defends his part in the Dar-
danelles campaign, reserving most of
the glory for himself and transfer
ring the blame to other shoulders.
Much indignation Is expressed at his
attempt to throw the responsibility
for failure on the military chiefs who
refused to send an army to the east
ern Mediterranean at time when
every man available was requested
70 hold the Germans back seventy
miles from Paris
., \ more pleasant topic of public
discussion is the first production at
Birmingham of George Bernard
Shaw's play. Back to Methuselah."
The whole play was produced in five
successive parts-three evenings and
two matinees. The verdict of the
critics, SO far. has been enthusiastic.
and Shaw's reputation has been enor-
mously enhanced. 1t is claimed that
he has established himself not merely
as the foremost dramatist of his time,
but as the greatest British dramatist
since Shakespeare. Shaw's comment
would be why drag in Shakespeare?
His satire on Asquith and Lloyd
George are much discussed, especially
his severity on the latter, whose royal
progress in Canada is being followed
with interest mixed with amusement
Copyright. 1921