Evening star., 1924-03-02
RY FRANK II. sIMONDs.
ONDON-"what will labor do:

ONDON-"What will labor do?" and
How long will labor last?" These are
IL questions which must have immediate
interest, not only In Europe, but in
America. To answer them to complete salts
faction, moreover, is neither easy nor, in Il
sense possible, because the present situation
is not only novel and practically unprecedent-
ed IN British history, but it is also palpably
unstable. All British observers agree that any
thing may happen, nothing is assured
Accepting these limitations, however, al
ways bearing In mind the essential detail that
labor counts less than u third in the house OF
commons it is still possible to record the fol-
lowing expectation representing public
opinion in England at the present hour
First, labor will do nothing very striking
or particularly original: 1t cannot and does
not expect to attempt anything radical for a
considerable period of time, at least In the
second place, the Macdonald ministry will last
anywhere from six months to a year. It's ex-
pectation OF life, as the actuarfes say, seems
to be increasing rather than diminishing FL
nally, when labor Is forced to resign, it is
most likely to go down because of internal
differences and pressure from the extreme rad
icals within the movement, compelling the cab
met to champion radical measures, like the
capital levy or naturalization of mines. There
are many questions, both foreign and domestic,
which there Is surprising amount Of
agreement between all three parties. Thus.
labor can wrestle with unemployment, with
housing at home, with pacifcation abroad and
have the. blessing, even the active assistance of
its political opponents. The nation Is dead
against any new election there is no pressing
attraction for either tories liberals to strug-
gle with heavy burdens with promise of
speedy or brilliant results at present. 1t Is
true. also, that while the oppositions have no
present temptation to seize office, the gen
erai public. the man in the street. the masses
of the country, seem deliberately resolved
that labor shall have fair sporting chance
to prove its abilities or its utilities. Any at
tempt to turn labor out on a frivolous mere
ly parliamentary pretext might have very dis
astrous consequences in undesired election
which would certainly follow very quickly
Thus. oddly enough, although in a decisive
minority in the house of commons the Mac
donald ministry for the moment has
jority of public opinion insisting that it have
its day In Office. The more closely you come
in contact With the present British situation,
the more astutely you feel that while the
suits of the last election seem superfcially In
a muddle and the electorate appears to have
voted blindly and unintelligently, in point OF
fact they did accomplish just about what they
set out to do. "Muddling through" seems at
close range to disclose extraordinary
amount of commonsense, at least this time.
Tories Recognize Defeat.
Thus. for example. 1t IS perfectly clear that
the tory party itself has recognized In the
catastrophe defeat which it has undergone
the necessity of reorSanizing itself. of read
justing itself to cotemporary conditions of
winning back a fair share of the youth of the
country, of appreciating more accurately the
mind of the nation itself
Further than this. it is matter Of common
agreement that the present anomalous situa-
ton. with three parties being only two party
system to function with, cannot endure 1t is.
moreover, equally agreed that the liberal party
is doomed to disappear, that 1t will open to
right and left, that the right group will Join
the tories, perhaps be absorbed. perhaps In
sist on some kind OF fusion. while the Left
hand group will go over to labor uncondition-
ally. Thus the old two-party system will be
restored. Only very extreme partisan liberals
would dissent from this forecast
If by any chance there were a new election
before this liberal disintegration took place.
while three parties made the race as happened
last time, almost everybody holds the view
that labor might come back with a clear ma
jority. On the other hand. if the liberal party
broke up, there is the same conviction that
while labor might come back in a minority it