Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-08
ENGLAND'S LABOR
REGIME MENACED.
Extremists in Macdonald'S
Party Threatening His
Whole Government.
BY A. G. GARDINER.

BY Radlo TO Ine star.
LONDON, December THE Mac
Donald government is in grave trouble
and in political circles the question of
how long 1t can last is being widely dis
cuSSed.
The danger does not come from the
opposition benches. Neither do the Con-
servatives nor the Liberals want TO de-
feat the government presently, because
the probabilities are that another cleo
ton at this time would strengthen Mac
donald's position in the House Of Com
mons and, perhaps, give him an abso-
Lutte majority.
Moreover, the policy of the govern
ment up to the present has been mod
crate, and has given little opening for
any serious criticism. Indeed, 1t is the
very moderation of its policy which
partly explains the Shaky position of
the ministry.
The menace to the government comes
from within Premier Macdonalds own
party. In forming the cabinet he COM
pletely cold-shouldered the Clydesiders
who are extremists on the left side to
the core, even excluding Wheatley, who
held office in the previous Labor minis
try. There was ample ground for his
exclusion, owing to the fact that in the
interval Wheatley had been heavily dis
credited by his failure to win a libel
action in respect to allegation against
his business activities.
Attitude Toward Liberals.
But the exclusion Of the Extremists
has had a deeper significance, which
has been apparent in Macdonald's
changed attitude toward the Liberals,
and his inclination to angle for their
support.
Murmurings among the Extremists
have broken out this week in open
revolt against the government in Com
mons, with the result that the ministry
narrowly escaped defeat Wheatley,
who is a man of considerable Parlia-
mentary gifts, charged the government
with betraying election promises on the
unemployment insurance bill, and
MaxtOn, another formidable leader of
the Extremists, has also raised the
rebel standard
The executive committee of the Labor
party met Friday to consider the APP
plicatton of disciplinary measures and
the question of drumming the rebels
out OF the party organization. Mac
donald is anxious to avoid this eX-
tremity, because the result would be a
split party, while it would make the
rebels heroes in movement of revolt
throughout the nation. But the more
rebels intensity their challenge of the
government and carry their fight into
the constituencies. Probably Wheatley
and MaXton carry with them only a
score of members of the revolutionary
faction, but this secession makes Mac
donald's position most precarious in
Commons, while the government failure
to reduce unemployment makes it
vulnerable in case of an attack in the
country. In short, If Macdonald does
not expel the rebels, they will compel
him to surrender.
Should Expel Rebels.
II Macdonald is wise, he will recog-
nize that terms with the Wheatley
and MaXton factions are impossible
and that the only course is their for
NAL expulsion. He would thus be sup
ported by the official Labor party and
have the support Of the trade union
lists, who supply funds for the party.
This would compel him to rely on
Liberal support 10 maintain the govern
ment in power and tend to the forma-
ton of new party consisting of
combination of Labor and Liberals.
Whether he will have the courage
to do this is doubtful, for, though his
political leanings are toward the Liber-
ais, his personal feelings are hostile
against Lloyd George, and, as one of the