Evening star., 1924-10-06
BY FRANK n. sIMONDs

For the past month the signs have
continued to multiply which seem to
forecast new general election in
Great Britain. The Labor government,
which has always been minority
has not. ii is true, suffered much
by by-elections. having lost but one
OF the l91. seats which 1t captured
last year. but various circumstances
and particularly the recent treaty
with Soviet Russia have combined to
weaken it's position and there seems
to be a common belief in England
that il Mac Donald insists upon MAX
ing the Russian Treaty a party mat
ter. he viii be defeated and forced
to resign.
Labor's strength hitherto has la in
in the fact that it was actually in
power and could not be turned out
without general election which
neither the country nor the two op-
position parties desired. or the two
narties the Tory could hardly hope TO
gain much, while the Liberals have
every. prospect of being practically
! annihilated. Thus the result OF
new election today would be the per-
haps probable return of the Ior1es
| with a small majority and the very
large increase in the number of Labor
members and a practical extinction
of the Liberal party.
| Conceivably there would remain
| enough Liberals TO repeat the ex-
perience Of the last election ana
prevent the cmergence OF any
clear majority and then the Tories
; would have to choose between max
ing y coalition with the Liberals,
which would he repugnant ana
seeing the Liberals driven to make
some new arrangement with the
Labor party and thus insure pre-
ca arious majority for Liberal apor
, combination. Labor, too. might re-
fuse all coalition. as it did last jan
uary, and leave the Liberals to
choose between supporting a Tory or
Labor ministry without reward
Against MncDonaid.
On the Russian arrangement the
majority of the Liberals are quite
manifestly against Macdonald and at
one with the Tories. On the irish
issue, the other controversial ques-
tion, raised by the boundary dispute
between the Free State and Ulster,
on the contrary. majority OF the
Liberals, including Lloyd George.
stand with Labor for the fultllment
of the treaty.
Actually the political situation in
the United Kingdom is in Aux. La
Dor has scored a certain triumph in
foreign affairs, through the London
| conference. but not without degree
of weakening within its own ranks.
The more recent Geneva episode has
awakened more Tory misgivings,
| while the approaching conference in
Paris over the debt question may
! easily lead to a break between Snow
den and Macdonald; that is. to a
split within the Labor ranks.
Meantime, even the success of the
| London conference has been accom-
panied by very considerable agi-
| tation against the Dawes plan on the
part of a powerful faction of the
British press. an agitation which
directed against the British partici-
patton in the loan TO Germany and
based upon the belief that German
recovery will mean new British de-
preston. Balance this with the agi-
| tation within Labor ranks against
any cancellation or scaling down of
the French debt, the single act which
might restore the falling fortunes OF
/ Herriot and reconcile powerful op-
position in France to the London and
Geneva operations, and the confusion
is manifest.
RivnI Ranks Divided.
|. The truth is that both the larger
parties, Tory and Labor, are divided
within their own ranks over several
vital questions. while the manifestly