Evening star., 1924-10-12
BRITISH PARTIES
LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
.Manifestos Issued indicate
Fight viii Be Made Largely
on Home Affairs.
By the Assoc intcd Press.


their platforms before the electorate.
Three election manifestos are out to-
night The Labor manifesto is
signed. among others, by Ramsay
Macdonald. John Robert clynes,
Robert Smile. George Lansbury and
Arthur Henderson.
The Conservative manifesto Is
signed by Stanley Baldwin, and the
Liberal by II. I'll. Asquith and MIR.
Lloyd-GeorGe.
The first noticeable feature. which
undoubtedly is an outgrowth of the
new experience of the country in
having had labor administrat ton for
the first time. is the small part now
played in the election literature by
foreign affairs and the defense Ques-
ton. These are scarcely mentioned
in the Labor manifesto, apart from
the Russian treaties and brief par
agraph claiming credit FOR the i'm
proved relations with France and
Germany, and noting the important
steps taken at Geneva toward arbi-
tration, security and general disar-
mament.
In the Liberal document illusions
are equally scanty, but in the Con-
servat've manifesto, following the
Tory tradition, the empire and Tor
eign relations are given greater at
tention, but still are overshadowed
by social and economic questions. In
reference to foreign affairs Mr.. Bald
win pronounces his party for Co
operation in all matters admitting of
common action with the United
n fnr ha and strength
ening of the League Of Nations on
practical lines.
Charges Navy Neglect.
With regard TO defense. he says
that the Unionists. if returned to
power, will have to "examine afresh
the position in which the defenses of
the empire have been left by the
present administration" and, while
favoring any practical proposals for
the general Limitation OF armaments.
must "scrutinize carefully. in con-
junction with the dominions, the far
commitments and implica
tions of the scheme recently put for
ward at Geneva"
None Of the manifestos touches upon
any such questions as Egypt or Irak.
The competition between the three
parties is clearly on the ground of So
cial and economic reforms and on
these alone. After the result of the
general election a year ago it is not
to find that the question
Of free trade versus protection has
also almost vanished from the picture
1t is true that the Liberal document
pronounces unshakably for free
trade. but the Labor manifesto does
not mention the subject Mr. Baldwin
that the last election settled
the question, but he still advocates a
industries act which the
Labor administration abolished and
supports measures of imperial pref
erence, which. he declares, I'VE shall
steadily keep to the 'front.'
No Slogan Produced.
A noteworthy point is that while
the Liberals charge Labor with the
entire responsibility for the projec-
tion OF the election the Labor nAni-
festo declares that the government
was defeated by a partisan combina-
ton of Liberals and Tories. Moreover,
as was foreseen, there Is no great ma
tional question or election slogan
All three manifestos concentrate on
the same social program
The Labor manifesto deals largely
with reforms already achieved, or
those which were contemplated, but
which Labor was prevented from
carrying out by the refusal Of the
Liberals to support them. Housing.
pensions. remedial meas
ures against unemployment and for
bettering the condition of women
and children, abolition of the slums
and similar subjects occupy a big
space in all the manifestos. The
Liberals strongly emphasize the
iced of dealing with coal mining and
the power question, and would
authorize the state to acquire all
mineral rights and provide state as
sistance in the construction of super
power stations for generating cleo
tricity.
Political gossip says, although 1t Is
not mentioned in the manifesto. that
Mr.. ioyd-George Is especially strong
On this subject, having recently pub
ished an important pamphlet on 1t.
Liquor Question Up.
The Labor manifesto advocates re-
of the whole mining in
lustry on the lines of national own
ership. The Liberals contend that
The excessive consumption OF alcohol
ought to be dealt with on bold and
lines. On this question
abor urges a full and impartial in
luiry by a royal commission. which,
L says, the government had arranged
o begin next spring.
With an eye to the women's votes,
Mr.. Baldwin sets forth a plank for a
royal commission to inquire into the
high cost of foodstuffs. The liberals
rayor re-establishment OF economic
and commercial relation with Russia,
,ut oppose Great Britain's guarantee
ng a loan to Russia.
The labor manifesto, alluding to the
general pacification OF Europe &C
under the labor regime
refuses to exclude from this pacin-
cation the Russian people, with whom
it is essential to resume our trade
in the interests OF the unemployed
and the country as a whole
Claim Tax Reduction.
Labor claims great credit for the
financial policy, de-
claring that its budgets swept away
6 80, 000, 900 annually of taxes on the
food, and the manifesto asks:
'Is 1t not because liberals and union
lists fear, the second labor budget that
an excuse has been found for giving
the labor government no further
chance?"
On the question of unemployment
It declares that the labor slogan still
is: Work or maintenance" and out
lines labors' accomplishments and in
tentions. For dealing with that evil
1t advocates the taxation of land
values and the prevention of exces-
sive hours of labor. 1t concludes:
'"The path to our goal Is long and
narrow, sometimes 80 hard that men
and women faint by the way. But
we have faith in humanity; we refuse
to believe that there is nothing to
be done but conserve the present
order which is disorder. or that the
misery, decentralization and ruin that
It causes to innocent men, women