Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13
British Political Rapids
Moving to Great Issues
BY A. G. GARDINER,
Greatest Liberal Editor.

LONDON, July 1.-THE politica
rapids here are moving swiftly to grea
issues. The Labor government is visibly
shaky and in the critical division in the
House of Commons on wednesday Il
was saved from disaster by only three
votes.
The most significant feature Of thi:
incident was the fact that David Lloyc
George engineered the attack, which
his Liberal party followers believed wa
only harmless demonstration of indie.
pendence. The Tories lay in ambush al
neighboring club and descended or
the House at a given signal to turn the
demonstration into close call for the
Macdonald cabinet.
Many Liberals are furious at being
betrayed into abstaining from support
Of the government and are severely
criticizing Lloyd George, who put or
the whips against the government al
the last moment and nearly helped the
Tories to convert the skirmish into q
decisive defeat.
kA&
The Conservative party Is now clam.
oring for an election. Their position In
the country has been strengthened
owing to the failure Of Labor to dimin-
ish unemployment and to the apparent
revival of the protectionist cause, and
in spite Of the quarrel between Stanley
Baldwin, the Tory leader, and Lord
Beaverbrook over food taxes they are
confident of victory at the polls. They
want to force an election Immediately
for two reasons.
First, they wish to obtain power In
time to control the Imperial Confer
ence, which has been summoned for
Autumn, in order to use 1t to inaugu-
rate q policy Of imperial protection
against foreign countries, coupled with
free trade within the empire. II Labor
keeps control, Chancellor Of the Elk
chequer Snowden, who Is an uncompro-
missing free trader, will scotch any at
tempt to establish tariffs and the
Tories therefore regard an immediate
election as vital to the protectionist
cause.
The second ground for wanting to
rush the election is the question of
India, which Is on the eve of a most
fateful decision. Here party differences
are less acute, and Macdonald is in
negotiation with the leaders of both
the Tories and the Liberals. But the
Tories are naturally anxious to have the
handling of the Round Table Confer
ence, which follows the Imperial Con-
ference. The prospects of that confer
ence are still obscure.
There Is a strong suspicion current
that the government intends to throw
over the Simon report and 60 into con-
ference with more advanced proposals.
The speech of Viceroy Irwin of India on
wednesday, with emphasis laid on the
Dominion status as the goal Of his
policy, is taken to give color to this
view. Lord Irwin Is clearly prepared
to 60 to extreme lengths in meeting
the Indian situation, consistent with
the security of India and the protec-
ton of minorities.
This correspondent has reason to
know that the government intends go
ing into conference bound neither by
the Simon scheme nor by Lord Twins
views. The leaders privately deny any
intention Of shelving the Simon report,
but on the other hand they do not ac-
cept 1t as defining the limits OF the
governments policy.
This Is wise in view Of their anxiety
to attract to the conference the most
opinion of India, which
is only possible on the assurance that
the widest freedom will be given for
discussion and settlement of the prob
lem. Informed opinion here Is that the
prospects Of the situation are much
improved and that the idea of boy
cotting the conference Is vanishing
The fact that representatives Of the
Moslems and the native states will GER
tainly attetA will alone assure general
tcopyrish.s ssso)