The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-09-15
A Little Brother to the Rich

Prime Minister of His Majesty's government
James Ramsay Macdonald, received gift of $135,
900 worth of stock in the McvitiePrice Biscuit
Co., from his close friend Alexander Grant, mem
Der of the conservative party. That was in March
of this year, shortly after Macdonald assumed
Office in the name of the British Labor Party
In June, few months later, Alexander Grant
elevated to the peerage by the government of
j. Ramsay Macdonald and became Sir Alexander
Grant.
This is what the capitalist papers call an ''un-
fotunate coincidence" What they mean, of course
is that the present publicity is unfortunate "Con-
sentative and liberal party leaders understand per
fectly Mr.. MacDonald's reasons for accepting the
gift and intend to maintain silence" remarks one
capitalist reporter
OF course, all the oId-time servants of British
imperialism understand. Gifts of this kind are an
established thing in British politics. The only ones
who will not understand are the workers who la
bored under the illusion that they had put LA
Dor Party" into office. To suddenly find out that
their highest representative is accepting secret
gifts of huge sums of money, from the hands of a
leading member of the conservative party, and
from man who later becomes direct beneficiary
of the Labor" government, does come rather as
shock to the simpleminded workers who believed
in the label Labor"
Mr.. Macdonald explains that he "was forced,
against his will" to accept this gift because the
cost of living is high at No. 10 Downing Street,
that even his huge salary could not meet it. He
had to have battery of automobiles to conserve
his health. Mr. Grant presented him with the
automobiles just a personal friend" interested
in Mr.. MacDonalds health and then added the big
block Of biscuit company stock to take of the
upkeep. against his WILL Mr. Macdonald ac-
cepted all these kindly favOrs and, presumably
also against his will" Mr. Grant later received
titfor-tat in the shape of peerage.
Burton X. Wheeler must have had some inside
dope on the British Labor Party Last Friday we
printed an interview with this American disciple
of Macdonald in which he declared for a third
party in America exactly like" the British Labor
Party in everything but name. He said he wanted
bankers. manufacturers, and small business men
generally in Ibis" party, because, he said, he saw
no reason forrefusing such little aids to politics
as the offer of automobile rides which such kindly
supporters could give. We trust that we are not
unduly suspicious when we entertain the thought
that Wheeler might have known how it was that
Macdonald was able to ride in automobiles while
carrying out the policies of the British Empire
in the name of a Labor" government.
The LaFollette Wheeler movement in the United
States promises that it will give us government
like that Of j. Ramsay Macdonald in Britain The
more we learn of Macdonald and his government
the more are inclined to believe that such would
probably be the case The little brothers" of Brit
ish capitalism and Imperialism are being initiated
closely possible by the American "little
brothers."
Probably the most unkindest cut of all, how
ever, that Macdonald has received as a result OF
his venture into the biscuit business, was the vel
come into the capitalist class given him by Otto
Nicholson conservative member of parliament
who remarked before the Junior Imperial League
that it would be interesting to see if the newly
made capitalist Macdonald, would now support
the capital levy that is advocated by the Labor
Party.