Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-01
Labor's Victory in Britain.

41obOl has SWtpI tIe DOdTuS III The
British elections, but it is not yet GER
tain that MI. Ramsay MacDonald's VIC
torious cohorts will be intrusted with
conduct of his majesty's government.
OF the 3o8 seats necessary to a majority
in the House of Commons, Labor won
only 238, or 20 short of the requisite
total. Although Labor energies with a
plurality of thirty-eight over the Bald
win Conservatives and the Lloyd George
Liberals are a bad third with only sew
enty-seven seats, the MacDonalditeS
cannot form a cabinet without coalition
with one of the minority parties.
Events of the next few days will de-
termine whether. Labor can effect such
an alliance. The normal British pro-
cedure is for King George to invite Mr..
Macdonald, as leader of the dominant
party, to form a government. The
Conservatives are not likely TO be on
MS calling list. The Liberals Moderated
violently during the campaign that in
no circumstances would they lend their
anticipated (and nov materialized) bal
ance of power to a Labor party in quest
of the wherewithal for Office. The
canny Lloyd George, in London last
night. would go no further than to in
innate that his slender band of sup
porters would be actuated solely by
the good Of the country"
Premier Baldwin may essay the bold
stroke of seeking to continue the gov
eminent by provoking a vote in the
Commons, and daring the Liberals to
vote the Conservatives out of Office,
while, by the same token, catapulting
Labor into Downing street for the Sec
ond time. Out of this trucking and
traficking, provided Labor in the mean
time has not formed a coalition, a par
liamentary deadlock will almost in
evitably ensue. That would mean an
other general election in the Fall, and
possibly q reversal Of this weeks ver-
dict. But it might also bring a clear
majority mandate to q Labor party
flushed with the prestige that 1t now
can boast.
Americans should not make the mis-
take of thinking that a phalanx of men
and ome typified by miners lamps,
carpenters caps, bricklayers' overalls
and mechanics aprons has carried the
day in Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. The Labor party covers a
multitude of skins. The "intelligentsia'
Of John Bulls islands forms a large
part Of 1t. MI. Ramsay Macdonald
Is an educator. Mr.. Philip Snowden
Is o journalist and lecturer. Profess
sional trades unionists are prominent,
but not dominant, In the Labor party.
In the United States 1t would be
known as a liberal or a progressive
party. Many white -collared" men and
women fill its ranks, which widened
to the impressive aggregate of 8,292,-
204 votes on May 30-a prodigious ex-
pansion since Labor in 1900 won its
first two seats with a total of $4,000.
The newly enfranchised woman's vote
seems to have gone over to Labor.
Mr.. MacDonald's victory is Individually
significant. Whether he becomes prime
minister again or not, Britain has re-
pudiated the Baldwin government. 1t
has indicted the Conservative regime
particularly for its failure to ameliorate
unemployment. It has expressed I'M
mistakable d~ispleasure with the Tory
cabinets conduct Of foreign affairs
for example note the narrow escape Of
Foreign Secretary Chamberlain from
defeat. 1t Is evidently minded to give
Labor another chance to grapple with
Britain's many grave problems, des-
pite the party's Intellectual maiden VEN
ture in Office five years ago.
Perhaps the feature of Labor's tri-
umph most gratifying to the United
States is the prospect of a naval limita-
ton understanding with Britain. This
Mr.. Macdonald has definitely pledged,
should he become the next arbiter of
John Bulls international destinies. The
Labor landslide was in progress on Thurs
day at the very hour President Hoover
was sounding his solemn call to the world
to beat its peace protestations into
disarmament deeds.
Americans may derive still another
satisfaction from the British elections.
Communism was definitely rejected,
The one avowed red in Parliament, the
Parsee, Mt. Saklatvala, wa defeated
by a Labor candidate, while Mr.. Mac
Donald himself showed under Mr.. Pol
lit, one of British communism's princi-
pal leaders.