Evening star., 1924-10-18
BY FRANK II. SIMONDS.


Whatever may be the result of the
general elections in Great Britain,
there is no mistaking the luck of the
first Labor prime minister in the
circumstances of his taking off and
in the moment at which his enemies
have chosen to pitch him out. After
a Summer of success in the field of for
efgn affairs hardly paralleled in re-
cent British history. with the Dawes
report accepted, the Geneva session
successfully over and Franco Bri Sh
affairs in the most pleasant situation
in five years. he has suddenly been
presented with an opportunity to go
before the country when his record is
strongest and over an utterly trivial
incident
If. as consequence of the election,
Labor loses the wholly debatable ad-
vantage of governing with a minority
In the House of Commons, it will have
left behind it ultimate proof that
there is no menace to the safety of
the empire or the order of the king
dom in Labor government, while
the incoming cabinet will be faced
with problems Of grave magnitude at
home and abroad. India, Egypt and
Ireland at the moment are matters of
gravest concern, while all the domes-
tic problems incident to unemploy-
ment and depression await solution.
Sees Liberal Suicide.
In all probability Labor will in
crease it's membership at the expense
of the Liberal party and so will the
Tories. That the Liberals have COM
mitted suicide owing to the inability
of Lloyd George to wait and his nat
ural, but dangerous impatience at
perceiving Macdonald play in the eyes
of the world, and play on the whole
more acceptably :hat role he long oc-
cupied, is the belief of not a few
shrewd British observers
Moreover. the point is worth max
ing that in falling Macdonald has
fallen on precisely that issue which
will consolidate his party by bringing
back the more radical elements. The
truth is. that in all material things
the Labor, premier has been conserva-
tive to a degree, but on an inmate
rial issue in which his tenderness for
a radical is suspected of having a de-
cisive influence he falls.
1t is a matter Of common agree
ment that no element in the British
community desired new election
and that there is more than a possi-
bility that those responsible may be
held to account. And responsibility
in this case will be fixed upon the
Liberals. upon Mr.. Asquith and Lloyd
George, but particularly upon the lat
ter.
Three May Fall.
Meantime the fall Of Macdonald
may have very important repercus-
sion in France; it may even lead to
the fall of Herriot. while it leaves
all of the recent Geneva agreements
up in the air It may even lead to a
reaction in Germany, particularly if
Herriot goes and a; new French pre-
mier much more conservative and ma
tionalistic takes his place. Not one
cabinet, but three--British, French
and German-may go down because
the Liberals could not. wait. and the
resulting mess will not be a cheerful
thing for any new. Tory ministry to
face, particularly as the Tory party
itself is without competent leader
ship at the moment.
Although Stanley Baldwin was re-
turned to power after his CHASTITY
blunder, which precipitated the last
general election, his situation is far
from re-established. Winston Church
i'll has come back to the Tory party
plainly resolved to make a night for
leadership: Sir Robert Horne, who
staged the recent attack in the house,