Evening star., 1923-12-09

1t be foreign or domestic. During the
persent impasse no government can
attempt to solve contentious matters.
No one in England apparently wants
another election Immediately. and there
is possibility that any stop-gap ad-
minstration will get the tacit sup
port of other parties so long as il
does not trample the tenets of the
opposition.
Possible Alignments.
On the face of election returns il
would appear that the conservative
party, having lost it's majority in
parliament, must step down. At least
1t will be inocuous during the period
elapsing before another general cleo.
ton. Lord Derby, Austin Chambers
lain and others have been suggestcdf
as conservative prime ministers tdi
serve until more definite results can
be obtained The laborites commit
ted to capital levies and other strict
ly socialistic reforms in England
hardly will be entrusted with the
government until the laborites have
definitely proven their power by the
winning of a parliamentary major
ity. The liberals at the present juno
ture, though having gained many
new seats at the expense of rival
parties, nevertheless cannot assume
power until they have either won at
the polls or effected a coalition with
either the conservative or liberal ele-
ments. With labor they may have
nothing to do. Though the conserva-
tive and liberal leaders declare there
will be no conservative liberal coali-
ton in any government, it may De
forced upon them if the alternative
is the assumption by Ramsey MAJ
Donald of the prime minister's pre-
negatives.
Strong Government Needed.
1t is believed chief attention of all
political parties. particularly the
conservative and liberal. will be d.
rected toward eventual solution OF
those problems which will prevent
England from asserting very definite
policies at home and abroad. 1t gen
orally is recognized that weak. tim
orous government at the moment can
not protect England's interests in CON
tinental matters. particularly those
of reparations and the Rhineland
and the Ruhr. There must emerge a
government which plainly has the
mandate OF the people to proceed
along definite lines.
Unquestionably the result of the
British election gives comfort to the
French foreign Office, which, accord
ing to reports, is inclined to see q
public rebuke for the Curzon foreign
policy, which antagonized France. at
least prevented England from march
ing toe-to-toe in the application OF
penalties upon Germany for non-ful-
fillment of treaty terms. Whether
it be rebuke to Curzon. indirectly
or not. there is no question but that
Premier Poincare will, if he sees 1t,
be able to proceed with his plans and
policies without giving great weight
to the British viewpoint. However.
there is every indication that Premier
Poincare, in view of approaching
French elections and in the face of
enemy attacks on the ground that he
is hazarding the Franco British en-
tente. will do nothing in the interim
to ALLEVIATE England.
Poincare Victories Admitted.
On the other hand there is a grow
ing sentiment in England that the
British government can do little 10
enforce a change in the French pol
icy whatever it may be, as evidenced
ID
Baldwin. 1t is admitted that tho
Poincare school of political thought
has won great victories on the CON
tinent all to the disinterest of Brit
ish policy. But there is d question in
the minds of many British statesmen
now as to whether it would be good
policy at the present juncture TO
ALLEVIATE France further. They would
wait for the time when it would be
safer to promulgate a definite British
policy, one designed to promote Brit
ish influence in every quarter.
Notwithstanding apparent freedom
of movement gained by the French.
there nevertheless is a fear that
Lloyd George. who during the peace
conference and afterward as premier.
French policies which so success
fully had been carried out since the
little Welshman turned over the
prime ministership to another, will
return to power either as the head
of a liberal government or one COM
posed of liberals and conservatives.
Former Premier Asquith, though
known to oppose many OF the Fran
cophile policies now dominating the
continent, nevertheless can. as the
French declare, "be handled to the
interest of French policy" If any
of the present so-called conservative
or liberal leaders are to ue returned
they would rather see him than any
other.
Face Quiet Period.
In face Of all the hubbub over con-
tinental political policies, particular
ly those of England and France, the
next few months are bound to wit
ness few conclusive action, where.
but few months back, the national
istic policies of the allies were run
ming at full tide and in many in
stances counter current. Any stop
gap British government will fear to
initiate firm course toward regain
Ing continental diplomatic ascendancy
because of its necessarily weak posi-
ton. The French, and Premier Poin-
care particularly, also face elections
which will be hard fought. The
strictly Francophile policy SO OBJ
noxious to former co-partners in