Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-26
MacDonald's Call to Duty.

MacDonald's Call to DUTY.
Nothing becomes Ramsay MacDon-
AIDS fall from the leadership Of the
British Labor party so much as the
manner of his accepting defeat. On
the eve of the new governments en-
try into office today, the prime min
ister broadcast to the British nation q
moving appeal for united effort in the
grim task of preventing the collapse of
the country's credit That is the I'm
mediate, the supreme and the urgent
need OF the hour, lest disaster over
take the pound sterling and bring down
the whole British economic structure
In irremediable ruin. T see it is said. -
declared Mr.. Macdonald In the open
ing passage of his radio address, that
I have no Labor credentials for what
I am doing. 1t is true. do not plan
to have them, although I am certain
that in the interests Of the working
classes I ought to have them. Be that
rs it may, have the credentials of an
even higher authority. My credentials
are tllOcC "a AldtAOAAuA 0ub1g 80 = SeAA-
ceiye It, and obey them irrespective Of
the consequences"
It Is easy to comprehend that RAM
say Macdonald thus burned his party
nsldges behind him under what he
termed unusual and to me rather
sorrowful circumstances" He comes
near to being the father OF the Labor
political organization, which turned
against him In the critical hour Of his
career. Yet when he realized that its
demands spelled the collapse Of the ma
tional financial system, he determined
to be q Briton rather than a mere
Lalborite.
Though Ramsay MacDonalds dis
gruntIed supporters Of yesterday may
not be in mood to admit it, they viii
love to know that their deserted leader
struck the greatest blow for Labor
which that party could possibly deliver.
The opportunity came to him to place
high principle-in this case, iron neces-
sfty-Above partisan shibboleths. He
met It Like patriot and q statesman.
Mr.. MacDonald's valedictory to the
Labor party reminds 1t that no class
would have suffered more severely or
more promptly from the destruction OF
British credit than the wage earners
themselves. The undermining Of the
pound sterling, ne asserted. would be Of
graver consequence TO them than TO
the wealthy, because with industry par
alyzed by financial arrangements, few
CT wheels could turn and more idle
hands than ever would be the inesca-
pable result. Thus it was that the
prime minister insisted that even the
unemployed should bear q portion Of
the sacrifices necessary to balance the
budget.
with his government Of individ-
uals," as Mr. Macdonald calls it,
swinging into action, heroic measures
for regulating the financial situation
win be undertaken forthwith. Parlia-
ment win be called into special ses-
sion early In September. The Conserv-
attve-Labor-Lab bloc, minus the
Au1ebtDu Ol TIC OAoo1cCbcA AiaAC OAtO1
Congress members, will enact with
minimum of delay the legislation nee
essRry to effect q ten per cent reduction
in the unemployment dole, cuts IN va
rious civil service salaries and new
taxation.
The retention Of Philip Snowden,
Britains iron chancellor" at the ex-
chequer insures Q budget administra-
ton requisite to the needs which pre-
ctpitated the crisis. Mr.. Snowden's in
elusion in the temporary government
Of cooperation seems TO Danish, for
the time being at least, any recourse
to tariffs as a fresh source Of revenue,
whether that die-hard free-trader will
be able eternally to ward OF protection
h another question. II the Conserva-
tives come back to office at the gen.
eral election scheduled to be held as
soon as the budget issue is balanced,
the tariff viii be promptly to the fore.
Americans observe with more than
ordinary interest the accession TO the
foreign secretaryship of the Earl OF
Reading. well remembered at Washing
ton as British special Ambassador dur
ing the closing period Of the World
war. With Sir Herbert Samuel, Lord
Reading goes into the temporary adj
ministration as a representative OF
Lloyd Georges Liberals,