The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-13
PREDICT LABOR
GOVERNMENT IN
ENGLAND JAN. is
Fog Clears in British
Parliamentary Battle
By w. n. EVER.
(Staf Correspondent Of the Federated Press
and THE Daily Worker'D

and 1.-THE Daily wOrker'')
LONDON.-The fog, which as fit
ting symbol of the political situation,
settled down over London on the
evening Of election day, has lifted.
Literally and metaphorically the
atmosphere has become clear.
Liberal Plans Laid Bare
1t is now-barring accidents-cer-
tain that on Jan. Is the Conservative
government will be defeated in the
house of commons and that on Jan.
16 the king will ask Ramsay Mac
Donald to form Labor government.
That has become certain, because
we now know what the Liberals in
tend to do. The clearer sighted
among the political prophets have
known all along. For there was no
alternative open. But the Liberals
themselves did not see SO clearly.
They thought that since they hold the
balance of votes in the house they
held control of the situation.
A section Of the Conservative par
ty, headed by Lord Birkenhead and
made loudly vocal by the Rothermere
press, called on them to form a coali-
ton or at least an entente with the
Conservatives and so establish "bar-
rier against socialism"
Alas for their calculations, Lloyd
Georges followers nearly all lost
their seats. The united Liberal
party is almost solidly "Asauithian. y
Asquith, not Lloyd George, is its lead
er. And Asquith detests the Tories
almost as much as he detests Lloyd
George.
Asquiths Scheme Explodes
His plan was to come to a bargain
with the Labor party by which, in
return for keeping them in power, he
would, in effect, dictate their policy
But the Labor party CURLY declar-
ed that it would make no bargain
with anybody Whereupon Asquith's
chief newspaper became threatening
in tone. If the Labor party would
not make terms, it must take the con-
sequences. The Liberals, il, reminded
Labor, would by abstaining from vot-
ing, enable the Conservative govern
ment to carry on for weeks or even
for months.
The Liberals in fact have suddenly
realized that their strength is pre-
cisely their weakness. A Labor gov
eminent would be dependent on their
votes. But they cannot use their
power except by transferring it from
Labor to the Conservatives. And the
moment they do that they split their
party from top to bottom.
--..-- So L. 2=.sssy ~. Gesees zz.
So philosophically they will make
the best of things and vote with the
Labor party-though they will prob
ably as a consequence lose half a
dozen Of their members and bunch
/ of peers who will transfer their al
llegiance to the Conservatives.
We shall probably have Labor
government kept in Office, tho with
out, any bargain or coalition, rather
as the Liberal government was kept
in Office from 1910 to 1914 by Labor
and Irish votes.
Obstacles to Labor Control
1 Whether Labor government car
last as long is another matter.
doubt it; for there will be constant
and complex intrigues to bring about
fla situation in which the Liberals
would of necessity desert them. But
/ also think that the prophets who
give Macdonald three months anc
foretell an election in the late spring
are likely to be disappointed.