San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16
Churchill Will Try to Form
Third Party If Elected,
Is Belief.
JOIN LLOYD.GEORGE
Two Would Organize Old
Center Party and Con-
troll Government.
Nv A. G.. GARDINER.


Copyright, 1924. by consol. Press Assn.
London, March 15.-English poll
teal drama at the present moment is
centered in Winston Churchill, who is
contesting in a bye-election in West
minister division which takes place
next Tuesday.
Churchill, next to David Lloyd
George, is the most entertaining fig
ure on the English stage. Brilliant
with his tongue, and personally fear
less, he is assertive. ego6stical, ut
terly lacking in Judgment, innocent
Of scruple, and wholly distrusted, but
always formidable as a fighter. He
has run q race with Lloyd-George for
twenty years as the popular dem
ccratic leader, but Lloyd-Georse is
more nimble and il always just
ahead.
Their relations are peculiar. They
are half rivals and half colleagues and
both are coalitionists at heart. Even
before the war they aimed at the dis
solution of the old parties, and the
formation Of a center party under
Joint personal leadership
The war gave them the opportunity
of carrying it into effect, but now
10th have fallen on evil times. Lloyd
George is back with the Liberals and
Churchill is wanderer with no
party anxious to have him He has
been out of Parliament two years. He
was rejected in Dundee in 1922. and
in Leicester last December. Now he
Is standing in Westminster on an anti
Socialist ticket. He hoped TO get his
eandidature endorsed by the Conser-
vatives, but official Conservatives do
not want him back and the Liberals
would be glad to be rid Of him.
Appeals to Both Parties.
He is appealing to both parties for
support on the ground of the dread
full spectre of Bolshevism. He has
Bolshevism on the brain and he sees
, it behind every bush. Always the
strical, he pictures himself as Saint
George Staying the dragon.
The public is not much moved by
these histrionics. On the contrary
they regard him as a dangerous ex-
rlosive with an incurable tendency to-
ward militarism and reckless adven-
tufe.
Nevertheless his chances of victory
are considerable owing to the remark
able force Of his personality and sup
pDIL VI inc pOpuluI pAtSSs
= II he wins. the political situation
Z will be Substantially changed. Old
guard Conservatives hate him for de-
sertion in the past. but, if returned,
= he will capture leadership of the main
body of the party by sheer force of
personality. On the other hand, he
may seek to detach both Conservatives
and Liberals to reform Center
= party. In that case what viii Lloyd
: George do? His reunion with the
Liberals is proving to be half-heart-
ed affair on both sides. He and As
quith are civil to each other, but no
more, and the main body of the
/. party is wholly distrustful Of the re-
turned prodigal.
Lloyd-George himself rarely goes to
the House Of Commons and is sup
posed to be waiting a turn OF events.
1t is generally supposed that he still
bankers after a Center party and that
Z if Churchill is elected next Tuesday
there may be revival of the George
ill-Birkenhead offensive, aim
ing at dissolution of the Conservative
: and Liberal parties and formation Of
new group to the slogan Of anti
Socialism.
His Best Opportunity.
. It is the time of opportunity for a
political adventurer like Churchill.
The whole party system of English
politics is in the melting pot and
running into new mould. The Labor
government holds office. by Liberal
votes, but in spite of that fact. Prime
Minister MacDonald's attitude is
more hostile to that party than 10
the Tories. Evidently he wishes to
force them into opposition and to 90
TO the country on the plea that the
Liberals prevented Labor from car
rying out the Socialist policy.
Mr.. Macdonald has his own dis
contents. If he remains in offict
there is certain to be a disruption
of the Labor ranks. Fear Of this may
induce him to seize the opportunity
of going out of office in order TO save
the party's integrity.
= In short, English politics is al
SKIES and sevens and Churchilrs cal
culation is that the new formation
W.. be on the lines of war between
capital and labor, with the moderat
: ing influence of the Liberal part,
extinguished and a crude struggle Of
the rival forces of money powei
backed by control of arms, and Labor
backed by the power of the unions
established. In such a war he woult
play the role of Mussolini for which
he has both the ambition and tn
theatrical gifts.
Hence the Importance of Tuesday,