Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-25
Britain's Sizzling
Election Campaign
BY A. G. GARDINER.

LONDON, October 24.-Next Tues
! day witnesses the elimination Of zoe
most extraordinary election canapaA&A
in the history of British polttacs.
All familiar party contours are o.
liberated. Premier Ramsay Macdonald
and his principal colleagues in the late
Labor government are allied with the
Conservatives in the national govern
ment against their own party. and the
Liberals are broken into three frag-
mentS. the Simon group supporting the
national government on one ground and
the Samuel group on another. The
Lloyd George family group Is inplor-
ing the Liberals to vote for Labor. The
Communists are attacking Labor and Sir
Oliver Mosley's new" party Is attacking
everybody.
The campaign Is marked by unparal-
leled bitterness and personal controver-
sizes. Loud speakers and platforms ring
nightly with the challenges and
counter challenges Of the late Labor
ministers. Philip snowden's deysstat-
ing attacks on the cowardice Of his La
Dor colleagues in first agreeing to econ
onies necessary to save British credit
and then fleeing in panic for fear of
offending the trade unions have created
q tremendous effect on the public and
drawn savage retorts from Labor lead
ers.
The issue depends largely On which
side the bulk Of Labor votes are cast.
On the main question Of national SOL
vency the party Is overwhelmingly ON
the side of the national government.
but the attempt OF the die-hard Con-
servativeS under Lord Beaverbrook to
convert the election into q decision for
a general tariff has left them angry and
perplexed. and Lloyd George Il urging
10 NrAk~ 90 =. ~~xt
on the plea that the election Is Q pro-
tectionist ramp.
Thus Lloyd George, who Is notoriOusly
shaky on free trade, Is brandiShing the
flag of free trade at the head Of Labor
which at least Is half proteetionist, and
against q government which includes
Snowden and Sir Herbert Samuel. the
two most convinced apostles Of free
trade in the country.
y
Macdonald and Stanley Baldwin have
now made it clear that the election,
while leaving the government free to
modify fiscal methods to meet the emer-
gencies. will not authorize them TO
adopt a general system Of protection
without specific reference to the cleo
torate. This undertaking probably will
bring most OF the Liberals to the sup
port OF the government. especially in
Lloyd George Is preparing for the last
phase Of his variegated career as the
leader Of Labor, which, with the disap-
pearance Of Macdonald. Snowden and
j. H. Thomas. is lamentahly deficient in
parliamentary gifts.
One Of the strongest assets Of the ma
tional government Is the loss Of con-
hdence In Labor as q governing instru-
ment and distrust of its subordination
to the DEGREES Of the Trade Union
Council. This Is the main theme of
Snowden'S attack on his late colleagues
as Little LeninS" who fled from the
task OF saving British credit at the die
tation Of the trades union soviet.
y y
The chief personal interest In the
election centerS in the fate of Mac
Donald and Henderson, late colleagues
and now leaders in opposite camps. who
are lighting to retain their old seats
from Seaman and Burnley, respectively.
Both are Labor strongholds and, in view
OF Labor'S reputation of Macdonald,
the result in both cases was previously
regarded as foregone, but the premier
Is making a powerful fight in Seaman,
and the possibility of his victory and :
Henderson's defeat is not now precluded
from the electoral calculations
AS TO the general results of the cleo
ton, all opinion Is agreed that the ma q
tiona1 government will win. The only
question is the magnitude Of its ma
lor1ty. The working women's vote Is an
incalculahle factor. They oppose food Z
taxes and. on the other hand, dislike
the dole and prefer to have their men
(Copyrixht iaafN &