Evening star., 1923-11-16
BRITAIN'S FIERCEST FIGHT
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tragedy with characteristic fortitude
| and heroism.
MY government welcomed the op-
portunity afforded them during the
! last few weeks of meeting SO many
ministers from the self f-governfng
! dominionS and the representatives OF
India. The conferences just termi-
mated were marked throughout wifA,
a spirit of great cordiality and good
| will.
| Important questions affecting the
| foreign relations and the defense OF
| my empire We're carefully examined.
! Particular attention was devoted to
( the promotion of trade and settle
| ment within the empire upon which
| the we'll being OF my people so largely
4 depends al this time. l am convinced
! that meetings of this kind are of
the highest value in promoting a
spirit of mutual cooperation among
my people at home and overseas.
! Members of the house of commons.
1 thank you for the provision you
have made for the public service.
My lords and members of the
house of commons, the position of
agriculture and the problems of un-
| employment throughout the country
continue to cause me deep anxiety.
| Despite all efforts of my government
tress, the circumstances of large
numbers of our fellow citizens still
| remain deplorable.
My ministers are convinced that
unless measures for the safeguarding z
and development of home markets
/ are adopted no permanent improve
ment in their situation can be eX-
lpected."
Hard Fight Expected.
1t is predicted that the election will
be one of the fiercest political fights
lseen in Great Britain in modern times
The opposition parties feel they have
4 deep grievance against the prime
minister for playing confidence
trick upon the public in concealing
his intentions and forcing an unneces-
sary election. Mr.. Baldwin's support
ers resent this and warmly defend
his honesty of purpose"
Labor admits itself short of funds
and attributes its poverty to the fact
that unemployment and underpay-
ment have emptied the pockets of the
izer DIR. Marion Phillips, says this
election represents daring ex-
ample of the class struggle of the
rich against the poor"
The decision of the laborites to ad-
here to capital levy as the feature
of their campaign is welcome to the
other parties. Later, il is predicted
will suffer from its refusal to make
any arrangement with the liberals
with a view to avoiding split votes
Mr.. Lloyd Georges gibe in the house
of commons yesterday that the min
listers were going to the country with
tin cans tied to their tails to ask a
blank check-an allusion to the pro-
posed preference duty on canned sal
mon-has taken the fancy of the lib
eral press.
The failure of the plans to bring
Austen Chamberlain and Lord Birk-
enhead into the government ranks is
deplored by those conservatives who
think the loss of these statesmen will
prove a great injury to the partys
cause. The incident. in fact. is fire.
quently referred to as split in the
tory ranks.
Women are to take a large part in
the fight as organizers and campaign
ers and all parties are likely to re-
ceive large share Of their help. La
Dor. in particular, contends that
lips asserting that the poll will be a
battle of the mothers and housewives
against the rise in prices which a
tariff would bring.
Exclusion From Cabinet.
Letters which have passed between
Premier Baldwin, j. Austen Chamber
lain and Lord Birkenhead show that
the inclusion of Mr.. Chamberlain and
Lord Birkenhead in the cabinet was
found to be impossible, because they
were "unwelcome to some of those or
| whose support the premier is Obliged
to rely
kenhead, nevertheless, promised tC
| support the government in the cam
! paign.
Mr.. Baldwin intimated strong de-
sire to have Lord Birkenhead help
Lord Derby to keep our flag flying II
Lancashire" Lancashire is consider
ed the weakest spot in the govern
ment's campaign because the cotton
interests there are strongly opposed
to protection.
; The debate Yesterday was started by
j. Ramsay Macdonald, leader of the
opposition, who offered a vote of CEN
| sure of the government. Mr.. MacDon-
aid said that more than third of the
! unemployed were from the engineer
ing and other metal trades, and ship
building, cotton and distributing
trades The engineering and iron ant
| steel trades in the first nine months
| Of 1923 had imported goods to the
value of f19,o00,000 and exported te
| the amount of f94,000,000.
fered no help for the unemployed
Bribing agriculture with f11,000.00(
annually, he asserted, was of doubt
full legality.
Mr.. Baldwin's plea Of necessity fol
protection was based largely on the
| argument that in the matter of tariffs
every nations hand is against Grea,
Britain. All other governments, es-
pecially the United States, Italy anG
Spain, had greatly increased tariffs
since the war. On foreign affairs
| which, under the excitement of the
impending campaign, are almost for
gotten, Mr.. Baldwin said, the allies
had been informed that the British
people could not continue indefinitely
to maintain the spirit necessary fol
cooperation under the existing stu.
alton, and he deplored the failure to
accomplish anything with American
cooperation.
/ Mr.. Lloyd George replied briefly
| criticising the governments policy ir
calling a general election. He main.
tanned that settlement in Europe
would be a better remedy for unem-
ployment than. tariffs, and regretted
1 that the government had dropped in.
lternationat negotiations just when the
United States had Joined with Grea,
Britain in them.
Mr.. Baldwin, laying emphasis or
the debt ito America, said 1t meant
i that, in addition to the exports for.
merry sent, the English were called
upon to export sufficient goods ,ts
meet these payments. The struggle
had become so fierce that they were
.idriven to compete In exports. to theil
own detrfment. ssf sssEasgs. Il g