Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19
KEEPS POWER
BY DODCING REAL ISSUES
Tories Allowing ImpOtent Labor Gov
eminent to Remain on Job Until
Thoroughly Discredited.

After all, BRAND remains the single
potent liberal and pacific voice In Eu-
rope, albeit woefully weakened at home
by French nationalism, which is taking
alarm ct the italian and German phe-
nomena, and abroad by the obvious de-
lection OF Britain from the old Locarno
nrm. But how can Henderson, after
sharing In the denunciation of Cham
oerlain for dancing to the tunes which
briand piped, risk appearing to sue
cumb to the same mellifiuous note?
There, after all is the trouble. Labor
was going to take the domestic eco
nomic situation firmly in hand and abol-
ish existing evils. 1t promised this. It
was going to restore British prestige in
the world by striking out on a new
policy which should put leadership in
the hands Of Macdonald and Hender.
son, leadership in the European cause
OF peace. But such leadership as exists
still belongs to BRAND. while European
nationslism Is almost everywhere In the
saddle
And In the domestic field there is the
rising issue Of free trade and protection,
OF empire free trade, which Is protec-
ton. Against this issue stands Snowien
solidly, backed by the majority of the
Labor party. But Macdonald and Jim"
Thomas, who are politicians, would like
TO ride the storm and borrow political
capital from Beaverbrook by mixing at
least little empire free trade with the
old, authentic Manchester brand.
Would Like to Dodge Issue.
Above all, Macdonald and Thomas
would like to dodge the issue They
would like to get the Imperial Confer
ence over with nothing more sensa-
tional than the good old resort to Q
commission to investigate exclusively,
debate extensively and report at more
convenient time, at least q year hence,
But there are awkwardly practical peo-
pie, like Bennett of Canada, Scullin Of
Australia, HerZog of South Africa, who
press for some kind Of definite bargain,
dominion raw materials and foodstuffs
to get q preference in Britain, British
manufacturers to get even more con-
siderable preference than at present in
dominion markets. And there is Snow.
den saying mo" and meaning 1t.
| What Macdonald and his immediate
followers want to do Is TO stay in power.
1t Is pleasant occupation, not without
| attractive perQuisites in prestige and
pay, although pay is not the detail
which weighs with the Prime Minister.
But what very large body of the Labor
party desires Is to do something, to take
q stand, to grapple with the difficult
issues, even at the risk Of defeat and
exile from power.
The price of Labor's continuation In
power, however, is to dodge the issues,
carry on innocuously. Once Labor
should attempt to be itSelf-that Is, to
be what the mass Of its followers de-
sire 1t to be, not revolutionary but
/ radical-the Tories and the Liberals
would inevitably combine to throw it
out But the longer it stays in power,
lodging the issues, failing alike in the
foreign and domestic fields. the more
complete Is eventual bankruptcy and
the smaller its chance of coming back
to ONCE with a majority of its own.
Impotence Joined to Expediency.
The domestic economic crisis cannot
be charged against the Labor govern
i ment. It Is q world phenomenon. The
European unrest is due to variety Of
causes and but slightly to Labor's in
eptitude. But in the face Of both cirs
gives an increasingly clear picture Of
impotence Joined to expediency. Usu.
ally governments and political parties
are condemned because they are will
ing to do anything to retain power. In
the case of Labor, Of Macdonald, the
party and the Prime Minister seem
prepared to do nothing indefinitely, II
the way to hold Office is to follow such
a course.
The wiser heads and the younger
spirits see this and are in revolt against
it. They perceive that the clevereSt
Tory tactics are to let Labor remain in
Office until it has utterly and for q long
time discredited itself. Let Labor hold
thu baby until the shrieks Of the un-
happy infant make sleep impossible
anywhere between Lands End and
John o. Groats-that is the Baldwin
game. And that is what is happening.
The end would seem not too far distant
now.
! (Convri1ht 1ps0 !