Evening star., 1928-11-18
BRITAIN CIRDS FOR FIGHT
OVER OWN GOVERNMENT
Coming Election May Delay Naval Ac-
cord Until After Popular
Verdict at Polls.


took to realize any of its N-Falistic
program. Moreover, a caciEes which
combined Ramsay Macdonald with
Lloyd George would hardly promise
much harmony or administrative efh-
cheney.
The truth in the British situation
Is that the people are pretty thor
oughly disguised with all three po-
litical variations. They Sre satisfied
that the Tories are not only weak but
stupid; that they have failed at home
to keep on failing indefinitely. But in
the face of this failure the natural re-
sort to the opposition is prevented be-
cause of the general distTust Of Labor
by the great mass of conservative
voters. Labor has not Set succeeded
in earning confidence, save in its own
immediate constituency; business and
the country districts are hostile. OF
the two evils the Tory seems the
lesser.
AS to the Liberals, there is nothing
to suggest an interruption of the
steady slipping of that party. The
party, despite the fact that it has in
Lloyd George an able leader and In
his political funds a we'll filled purse,
continues to show evidence of disin-
tegration. If it still retains the great
mass of the older Liberals of the pre-
war period, it is failing utterly to at
tract the youth, which turns either to
Labor or to the Tories.
Lloyd Georges Future
Thus, while it is conceivable that
either the Tories or the Labor party
tion, the best that the Liberals can
hope for is to hold the balance of
power-that is, capture enough seats
so that, uniting either with the Tories
or the LaboriteS, it could insure a ma
jority. In this situation which direc-
ton would Lloyd George take? Bald
win asked that question recently, but
Lloyd George turned it by asking
Baldwin whether he would coalesce
with the Liberals or the Laborites,
Whether the Liberals went to Labor
or to the Tories, however, it is mani
fest that the result would be fur
ther split in its own ranks, for, while
a majority would certainly prefer the
Labor alliance, very important elements
would bitterly oppose even a trial mar
riage with Socialism. Again, it is far
from clear what welcome lloyd George
would have in the Labor camp, even
if he came bringing his party with
him. He could only hope for a
subordinate position in any coalition
cabinet, and Labor, as a whole, is per-
haps more hostile to him than to
Stanley Baldwin himself.
Thus it is clear that the next elec-
ton will either bestow small but safe
majority upon the Tories or else result
in deadlock, with no one party having
votes enough to organize government.
Out of such deadlock Liberal-Labor
coalition cabinet seems bound to
emerge, but such a cabinet could hardly
last long, and would certainly lead to
very great chaos in domestic policy,
although In the foreign field substantial
agreement exists now between the two
opposition parties. Beyond much doubt,
therefore, a Lib Lab cabinet would
be sf1ort-lived and would insure still an
other election shortly.
Transition Period Seen.
The truth about the British political
situation is that it Is in a transition
stage. Great Britain is passing through
something very close to a revolution.
Taxation is rapidly reducing the old
ruling class to a condition not far re-
moved from real poverty. The old
estates are being sold, the old country
ariStocracy is vanishing. War neceSsi-
ties compelled concessions to the work
ing masses which it has proved impoS-
sible to recall. Under our own eyes a
change is taking place hardly less
striking than that in Russia, but with
out any outward evidence, without any
Semblance of violence.
The revolution is steadily reducing
the power of the old elements which
have controlled Britain for several CEN
turies. But British political maturity Is
disclosed in the fact that, while So
cial revolution of vast magnitude is ac-
tually in progress, power remains, non1i-
nally at least. in the hands Of the Con-
servatives. Instead of a Labor govern
ment introducing at one stroke vast and
far-reaching changes, a Conservative
government is being forced, step by
step, to yield to the inevitable.
Nor is it at all unlikely that, aside
from brief and unimportant interludeS,
the whole British revolution will take
place during Tory governments. Mac
Donald, with Liberal support, may have
brief cabinet next year, but he will
not be able to realize any part Of the
Labor platform. But when he falls
and is succeeded by a Tory cabinet,
concessions made to the radical opinion
AS a mere example of political sanity
and maturity the British course in re-
cent years must command admiration
and demand attention.
May Hear About Tariff.
In the next election We are bound to
hear much about tariff, yet no political
party dares to come out in the open and
advocate a protective system like the
American. Baldwin'S premature adop-
ton of this issue in 1923 led to a Tory
disaster. Both the Liberal and Labor
parties are by instinct free traders.
Nevertheless Britain is moving slowly
but surely to protection. In many di-
rectionS the home industries are no
longer able to compete with foreign
production in the home market
Inevitably, however, the approach of a
British general election will lead to a
concentration of British attention and
interest on the home front and British
influence abroad will be limited. Nor
is there any likelihood that any serious
step in the direction of adjusting the
Anglo-American naval disagreement can
be taken before election. Actually Brit
ain is just entering that period of DO
litical paralysis through which we have
just come, and little of importance can
be decided until the people have spoken.
(Copyright, 1929