The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-25
Britain's Crisis Goes On

After new three-party coalition government
balances the national budget and pulls Great
Britain through the present emergency, the basic
conditions creating the crisis will remain.
Nothing that the coalition can do is apt to revive
Br1tain's prewar position of prosperity and world
leadership.
World conditions, which created British COM
merclal supremacy in the last century, now are
against her. She is dependent on foreign trade in
world where the rise of strong competitors such
as Germany and the United States and the indus
triallzatlon OF her former customer nations pro-
gressiVely destroys British foreign trade
While she depends upon coal and antiouated in
ouStrlaI equipment, her competitors develop new
hyoro-electric power and ultra-modern factories
Even her dominions and colonies tend to become her
competitors.
Hence Britains huge and growing unemployment
problem In Britain, unlike the United States it is
not matter of cycles in which temporary depres-
sion follows temporary prosperity
The British depression has been permanent since
the war; with no end in sight. At least 100000 and
probably 100000 workers and their families are
permanent excess population.
Britain can not get rid of them. They do not
want to migrate from their homes and the dominions
do not want them. All the elaborate emigration
plans have failed to touch the problem
Such large surplus of labor obviously creates
not only financial but social crisis as well. OF
this stuff revolution is made. The national unem-
ployment insurance system-misnaned the dole-has
been, in effect, insurance against revolution It
has given crumbs to large part of the population
to keep them quiet
When the tory government failed. a Socialist gov
eminent took over. Considering that the machine
it inherited was running only on one cylinder, and
that it ruled without majority in the house of
commons, the Macdonald cabinet performed a
thanklesS task we'll.
1t was not its fault that prolonged world depression
"a result partly of the suicidal world peace made
at Versailles-hastened Britain's commercial and
financial decline.
Perhaps the Macdonald cabinet might have
achieved more at home If it had practiced more of
the Socialism it preached, according to the critics
within its own ranks But as minority government
it had to compromise. Such compromise however. un-
Socialstic it may have been was certainly not I'M
BritiSh-Since the compromise generally is accepted
as the religion of British craftsmanship at home and
abroad
In foreign affairs, the Socialist government had
brilliant achievements 1t reversed the dangerous
secret Ango-French military alliance of the tory gov
eminent and decreased friction with the United
States; it stood by Germany in Germanys fight for
survival as free and self-supporting republic it
modified British Imperialism in China; it established
friendly relations with Russia it weathered storms
in Palestine and Egypt; it slowed down the rebellion
in India; it led the hating world movement for arms
limitation.
The fact that the Socialist government fell be-
cause of split within its ranks, and that the
conservative Socialist Macdonald is to head coai-
ton with the capitalist parties probably presages the
growth in opposition of more revolutionary workers
party under younger left wing leaders
That revolutionary movement doubtless will be ac-
tolerated, if the Macdonald coalition government as
anticipated makes labor pay for balancing the ma
tonal budget by cutting appropriations for unemploy-
ment insurance health, education and other social