Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29
Stanley Baldwin Battles
British Press Peers
BY A. q. GAkDINEk,
xnklAnd's or.atest LIBERAL Eater.


LONDON. June, 2s.-Tne strurxIe
between Stanley Baldwin and Tord
Beayerbrook for. control OF the Consefy-
atiye party hlazed. up this week into
confiagation that made even the
simon, scheme for Indian reforms sub
Jet Of secondary interest.
=. BALDWIN on. Tuesday took the ex-
IRENE course Of. O. private party confer
ence to. consider the. situation and his
compromising attack on the attempt
81. the two great press. lords, Beaver
brook and Rothermere. 70 become the
dictatSrs q the country has been the
and wit. Of. his tnvective surprised the
public, which has been accustomed to
regard Baldwin as incapable Of anger
and hard hitting.
But It is agreed that, he has ham
mered Lord Beaverbrook around the
ring AID for. the moment has turned
the tide In his own favor.
4 4 4
The battle. however, has only begun.
The weakness Of BAidwtnS position Is
that on the immediate political issue
Lord Beaverbrook has large support for
his brand Of tariff protection, An sec
tons OF the Tory party want projection
OF some sort, but BALDWIN refuses the
inclusion, Of FOOD taxes IN the program.
on the ground that tn, public Won't
tial part Of Lord BeayerbrOokS scheme
Of 3 self contained empire, with internal
free trade and. external tArt8s. AT
Lord BeaverbrookS SliggeStion, BALDWIN
agreed to submit the, question 81 food
taxes to d referendum OF the electors
and peace then seemed established, but
later Lord Beaverbrook recanted i. aud
demanded the withdrawal Of the refer
endum undertaking and an unenuivocsl
declaration that food taxes form q part
OF the oficial policy Of the, Cohserya-
resumed THE offensive, revived his cru
Sade,. invited the Conservatives to send
subscriptions to his organization instead
of to the official Conservatives, ana an
nounced his intention Of running can
didateS In opposition to any ofncial
candidates who refused TO indorSe food
taxes.
Meanwhile, the RotherTnere press Is
engaged In D furious, campaign against
the Baldwin leadership and has de-
manded his supersession by Lord Beav-
erbrook,. whose newspapers, In return,
poured fulsome en1okfes On the political
This CONSIDERATION, with its enormous
control Of the press, threAtened TO
stampede the Conservative party, but
BALDWIN, called their bluff. and trans
ferred the whole controversy 10 the
question Of whether the country will
submit to being governed by. . press dc
tAtorship, engineered by two wholly ir-
responsible rliopopolists. he made q
great impression by, quoting letter
from Lord Rotherrpsre.. In which he
demanded. that. BALDWIN suhrpit the
policy and personnel Of his. proposed
cabinet 10 nm 90 condition % eon-
sidering the acceptance Of his leader
ship. 49,.
,Tnw the battle. IL Joined between the
rebel peers, backed by their newspapers,
and BALDWIN, backed by the caucus.
The dificulty with Lord Heaverbrook Is
his lack Of an. Organization. TO carry on
war on, . grand scale in q general cleo
ton. Moreover. Baldwin,s public ak
pose Of the conspiracy TO govern the
country by b, newspaper monopoly has
awakened widespread suspicion Of the
whole BeaverbroOk crusade. It Is rec
ognized that the success Of such o
challenge would lead. to tnSnbordiIla-
tiUn In Parliament and to mob Appeals
and result IN the tyranny Of the Fagcists
on one side Or. Sovietism on the other.
4
whether AeayerbrUok and K6thermere
CAP continue To stfusele. n the ace %
the e4ect % this e}ptBpfe rfSon the. chr
cNletiCn q then repess Iymeitte @ be
seen. II would Appeer that they kASe