Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-02
Liberals Believed to Hold
Balance of Power in
Political TangIe. II
CONSERVATIVE SPLIT
OVER BALDWIN SEEN
Both Parties More Bitter Toward
Lloyd George and Bloc Than
Each Other.
BY HAROLD N. SCARBOROUGH.

BY HAROLD N. SCARBOROUGH.
BY Radio to The Star.
LONDON, June Although it seems
probable tonight that Ramsay Mac
Donald, leader of the Labor party, will
be the next prime minister of Great
Britain, this by no means Is certainty.
For the immediate future there are
two possibilities.
Stanley Baldwin, present prime min
lister, may resign next week on the
ground that the Conservatives no longer
constitute the largest party in the
House Of Commons, or justifying this
action on the ground that there were
more votes cast for anti-Socialist parties
than for the Socialists, may elect to
meet Parliament on June IS with a
reconstructed cabinet. This would place
the burden on the Laborites and
Liberals of voting down the Conserva-
tives in the House of Commons.
Labor Charts Course.
While the Conservative politicians
and the press continue to besiege Bald
win with conflicting counsel half Of
them advising him to resign imme-
diately and the other half warning him
that such a course would be fatal to
the Conservative prospects, there seems
to be a practical unanimity in the ranks
of Labor that this party, having secured
28S seats in the House Of Commons, as
against 254 for the Conservatives, and
81 for the Liberals. should take oftice
if the opportunity occurs. An 1ndlca-
ton of this as MacDonalds view was
contained in statement which he gave
out today.
Mr.. Macdonald said:
IF can prevent it, there will be no
disturbance of the country by another
election within two years. That state
ment must not be taken by the other
parties to mean that we are going 10
submit to unfairness. wish to make
it clear that I am going TO stand for
no monkeying. 1t will rest with the
be another election. Whatever the
government is going to make itself
responsible for the conduct of the ma
tional affairs both at home and abroad
at this time ought to have a chance
to develop its policy. The way they
broke the development Of my policy as
foreign secretary in 1924 ought not to
happen again"
Lloyd George Bides Time.
Arthur Henderson, another Labor
leader, said:
we naturally assume that there will
be a Labor government. The Conserva-
tive government has been defeated and
1t ought to get out"
Meanwhile Baldwin and Lloyd George
are awaiting their time. Lloyd Georges
ambiguous statement last night about
the Liberal party holding the balance
of power shows that he is keenly alive
to the possibilities of the situation. Re
covered from the first sting OF defeat,
the Liberal leader can be counted on
to offer his support in the best avail
able market-but here he is faced by
the dilemma that while both the Labor
and Conservatives need his support,
neither may be willing to pay for it in
the shape of pledges. =,
The Conservatives are furious with
the Liberals for having, as they term
it, put the Socialists in" Moreover,
there is a great deal of soreness among
the Conservative rank and file about
what they term the uninSpired quality
of Baldwin's leadership.
For Baldwin to have to offer terms
to Lloyd George for the Liberal sup
port would possibly mean split In the
Conservative party, il it did not In
volve even Baldwin's deposition as
leader thereof"
Times Clings TO Baldwin.
Such a paper as the Sunday Times,
member of the powerful Berry group,
clings desperately to the hope that
Baldwin may retain office for some
months or years by amending and
softening the Conservative program to
a point where it would command even
the support of Labor. This again would
nfuriate the Right Wing Conservatives.
The Conservative Evening Standard,
on the other hand. thinks "Lloyt.
George has more to offer to Labor than
he has to the Conservatives" and
points out that whereas he could give
Macdonald a secure majority OF 10 TO
80 in a Labor-Liberal coalition, he
could offer Baldwin only a precarlous
+ 35 or so.
There remains one final alternative.
should the Liberal party Of 60 or SO
4 combine with the LaboriteS in ouSt1ng
the Conservative government, but
should it then side with the Conserva-
. tives, in voting down the Labor govern
ment which would follow, the King
would have no alternative but to send
for Lloyd George and ask him to form
government. In all probability the
government Woul0 nave an exceeollgly
short life, as both the other parties to-
DAY have much more animosity against
Llord George and the Liberals than
F they have for each other.
Amateur Prophets Undismayed.
Meanwhile the amateur prophets, un-
dismayed by their failure to predict the
outcome of the election, are specializing
on the make up of the next government
if and when it is formed. 1t is gen.
orally agreed that Macdonald will not
try to combine the posts of prime min
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