Evening star., 1924-03-23

tably if there are three parties running tickets,
labor may easily come back with free hands.
And always, provided 1t remains faithful TO
the national tradition and does nothing which
exceeds national expectations, it is likely to
find that the country, which only gave 1t a
limited mandate last time, will let 1t have full
swing next time.
In foreign policy labor will not depart from
the policy of the tories and of the coalition
1t was not put into power to change torelgh
policy, but, oddly enough, because the nation
felt that the tories, who could theoretically
have maintained a strong policy, were Ia
mentally weak. France may easily find Mr.
MacDonald's little finger thicker than Viscount
Curzon's waist when it comes to essential
matters. At all events Macdonald must seek
the same main detectives as Curzon, chief of
which is European pacification. He has full
latitude in manner. he has none in policy.
Labor is full of new men politically who are
inexperienced in parliament and are constantly
getting into difficulty by mixing up matters of
policy with declarations of personal convic-
tions which give the politically trained op-
position leaders admirable chance to score
off them and bring the government to the
verge of defeat, but this situation is bound to
change the labor members get more used
to the game, and there is precious little Scor-
ing off Macdonald, Thomas C1ynes, who
have been in parliament for great many
years.
Question of Naturalization.
1t may well be that before the present period
of real stress in Britain is there will be
a capital levy and even some form of nation
alization Of key industries; the thing is not
only possible, it is almost probable; but It is
exactly likely that these revolutionary
changes will be brought about by tory
by labor government
But when the time comes for such changes
it will not be preceded by a campaign in which
party declares for another against the
forms, it would be with 1t will
when there is substantial agreement between
the reasonable elements in both tory and labor
parties that change is inevitable. And that
time is not yet and has relation to the
present situation.
The so-called British revolution is over, it
is idle to expect anything from the Macdonald
ministry which could not have been expected
from the tory ministry Of last year may
not be looked for from the tory ministry of
next year If there is one. There has been pro-
found modification IN British public and politi-
cal life, not a break with the past, but
men from a class have been called in and
set to work; had they not been called in
trouble might have resulted.
Having been called in, this class which
never quite completely excluded, is dis
covering office what responsibility means
and what the facts as contrasted with the
theories of national and imperial problems
And it learns it is subsiding into the
ordinary routine, it is becoming politically ex-
perienced it is learning as all parties and
public men must the very narrow limits of
possibility administration allows for Originali-
ty and for progress.
In sum, the British revolution is over. it
has become the government and having be
the government it has adopted the in
evitable conservatism of all governments.
The supreme political genius of the British
race has always been disclosed in it's capacity
to canalize the torrential streams of national
political life. that whereas in other
tries these streams carried away dams and de-
stroyed the countryside, in Britain they only
fury niSha ai6 nwpr In YDv nj
ment this age-long phenomenon of British his
tory has only just repeated itself. new flood
has been successfully impounded and is
being put to work.
Do not look for the expression, soon
of the meaning of the present British revolu-
tion, in legislation in sweeping reforms and
radical changes Both may come eventually
and a consequence, but when they do come
they may be the product of either tory
labor cabinets what is not in the least
likely, they may by that time have been
tirely removed from controversial politics.
Copyright 1924 BY the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate,