Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-12
PREMIER IS MADE
VICTIM OF RUSE
Naval Accord Intriglers Re-
ported Centering Attack
on Macdonald.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
Propaganda originating in The Hague.
Geneva and Paris which is now circu-
lating in Washington and designed to
wreck the Anglo American naval nego-
attention of high administration OIL
Gals. 1t directly concerns Ramsay
Macdonald, the British prime minister,
and its specific purpose is to weaken the
effect of his conversations with Presi-
Dent i1Sover and Ambassador Dawes.
The ruse invented - this end Is cir
cumstantial story that Mr.. MacDonald's
days as premier are already numbered
and that he Is on the threshold of
being ousted by a member of his own
cabinet, who is mona other than Philip
SnoWden, chancellor of the exchequer.
Difficult to Disbelieve.
The report has been dinned into the
ears of at least one of the Hoover
cabinet members directly concerned
with naval negotiations and was set
forth with such persistence and detail
that he found it difficult to disbelieve it.
One person in Washington to whom the
acDonald-Snowden story came cabled
to high authority in London and
received this reply: Report absolutely
unfounded. It seems part and parcel
of INSCRIPTIONS campaign now afoot
in The Hague, Geneva and Paris to
hamper MacDonalds negotiations with
Hoover"
Washington authorities in position to
analyze the true inwardneSs of this
ingenious intrigue-as 1t is considered
to be-point out that the transparent
purpose is to show that any arrange
ments Macdonald might discuss or
enter into with President Hoover would
be futile because he is not to remain
prime minister very long. The bringing
in of Snowden's name as MacDonald's
imminent successor has two angles de-
signed to clothe the propaganda with
FEASIBILITY. The first Is the peppery
chancellor of the exchequer's newly
won popularity in Great Britain fol-
lowing his recent victory in The Hague
reparationS conference and the cor
responding dimming Of MacDonald's
glory. The second angle Is Snowdens
supposed readiness to annul agreements
with the United States Government.
Snowden's Startling Speech.
It will be remembered that during
last Springs general election campaign
in Great Britain, Snowden startled
the country with a speech suggesting
the Labor Party'S opposition to the
Baldwin Mellon debt settlement and
LaDOrS mCenClOn 10 aDrOgaCe IL. SuCLl
a program later was disavowed by Mr..
Macdonald In connection with the
Macdonald negotiations for naval par
ity with the United States, the i'm
preston sought to be created by the
prophecy of a Snowden premiership is
that under it any Anglo American ar
rangement might easily turn out to
be scrap Of paper.
Ramsay Macdonald and Philip
Snowden, while both Socialists and La
borites, have long ranked as political
rivals, much as in this country Re-
publican leaders or Democratic lead
ers are frequently rivals within the
party ranks. That Macdonald thinks
highly of Snowden and trusts him i'm
plicitly was evidenced only recently.
when the Prime Minister appointed
the Chancellor of the Exchequer acting
premier during MacDonald's absence
at Geneva for this months League
Of Nations Assembly.
It is likely that the only Importance
which will be attached to the whole
story in Washington is that it bears
on its face evidence of being the lat
est-though perhaps not the laSt-at-
tempt of Il-wisherS to throw barriers
across the path which Messrs. Hoover
and Macdonald are trying to travel.
Copyright. 1927