The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-06-05
A DISAPPOINTING ELECTION
York TiYnes)

tNeW YORK llmeS)
Not even the Labor party can call the result Of the
British, general election fortunate. What has happened
was deprecated in advance by Ramsay Macdonald him
self. He kept calling for a Labor majority In the house
of commons. He declared :aat he would not be content
with the immense gains in the Labor vote which every
body foresaw. unless they issued in . clear majority
which would enable him to form an independent min
istry. not exposed to being voted out Of power by q COM
bination Of the two other parties. That majority he has
will lead a precarious existence because 1t will have to
live on sufferance. So although Mr.. Macdonald natur-
f ssy that iat Il iass' f. Iii |" short SUtAo q the %.t goal which |" ! he "s set
for himself and his party. English public opinion in
general will be detected at the thought Of the appeal
to the country resulting in Z stalemate which casts q
cloud over the political future. Even Conservatives and
Liberals would have been better pleased. since they
themselves were to be beaten, II Labor had won . good
working majority in the house Of commons.
Even as it stands. the tremendous demonstration made
by the Labor party must make q deep impress upon
British public life. To have taken more than q hum
dred seats from the Conservatives. after they had been
in power for five years. was . remarkable achievement.
party system in England. The Labor candidates must
have been greatly helped in many places by the tacit
conviction that their party represented the only real
be rebuked and punished for what they had been doing.
or failed to dc. the surest way was to plump for Labor.
To be sure. the Liberals under Lloyd George made a
splendid flourish in the face Of the electorate. hoping to
persuade 1t that their party was the most powerful
weapon with which to attack the Conservatives. But this
plea evidently had little effect. The Liberals did, indeed,
enlarge their vote over that of 1924. and gained a dozen
new members Of parliament. but even so they remain a
tUc Oe88AIly IcWuduC o ! WuaL Luey USED 10 DC. Inc
strong probability IS that they will soon be quietly giving
up hope Of resuscitating their party. and will, most Of
them, become either Conservatives or Laborttes. Per-
haps 1t is by such a process that England will finally
get rid Of the three-cornered contest which has done SO
much in recent years to bedevil English politics.
What the immediate next steps are to be, we shall
probably not know until the new parliament assemblies.
Meanwhile. there will be no lack Of rumors and gossip
respecting possible combinations in the house Of COM
mons. to make either Ramsay Macdonald OF Mi. Bald
win prime minister. II the labor party had won . de-
cisive majority. it is probable that the Baldwin govern
ment would have at cnce resigned, although they might
corstitutionally have held on until they were turned out
by a vote Of want Of confidence. But with neither party
having q majority. the course to BE- followed Is doubt
full. Unless Mr.. Baldwin resigns and advises the KIM
to send for MI. Macdonald. the latter I'll. scarcely t4
able to proceed to form . government. He may win over
enough Ltberal votes. despite Lloyd Georges vows to
high heaven that they will never act 50 O. to place .
Socialist government in power. to dismiss the Baldwin
the indicated prime minister. But for the actual result
Of the mixed state Of parties In the house u commons.
We shall have 70 wait.
Il Il . comforting reflection, amid the depressing
thoughts caused By the inconclusive general election, that
II . Labor government y formed Il viii cause no trep-
idation IN England and no fear elsewhere. NJ. NacDon-
aid. whatever he may Be In theory. Is In practice not 1t
all . flaming radical. His Official program Was 90 mod
crate and cautious as hardly to Be distinguished from
that Of the Conservatives: In fact. It has been said that
II q foreigner In England had read Nj. MacDonald's plat
form and heard his speeches. he would have pronounced
him merely . somewhat '~dispirited Conservative" From
his previous record In office, - from his character. It Il
safe to infer that II he again becomes prime minister.
he will conduct foreign relations with humane intel
ligence yet with frmncss. and VIII not attempt to shake
the pillars Of society II England.