Evening star., 1935-02-24
Lloyd George Re-enters
Britain's Political Scene
BY A. G. GARDINER.


LONDON, February 23.-The infiu-
ence Of personality in politics has
never been more strikingly illustrated
than by the irruption Of Lloyd George
on to the political scene after 10 years
in the wilderness.
With his Incompatible genius for
showmanship and his sense of the
occasion, he has chosen the ideal mo-
ment for throwing his hat in the ring
The life of the National government is
drawing to a close. When it has got
its Indian constitution through, It's
work will be done.
And its prospects are not good
This is not because it has not been a
success. With many grounds for
criticism, its broad achievement has
been remarkably satisfactory.
Nevertheless, the government Is un-
popular and doomed. It Is attacked
from every angle, by Labor because OF
its means test for the unemployed, by
Conservatives Of the die-hard school
for its Indian policy, by Liberals be-
cause Of its tariff policy. 1t has nc
friends in the popular press. and ii
lacks personality like that of Presi-
dent Roosevelt who can command the
ear of the country and arouse the
enthusiasm Of the electorate. All the
by-elections tell the same story of the
declining prestige of the government
and the possibility of q Labor victory
at the coming general election has be-
come probability and Is fast becom-
ing certainty.
Into this situation, in which every
one is helplessly calling for leader
ship. Lloyd George plunges with his
new deal" and his unrivalled gift
Of popular and demagogic appeal
There Is not much that Is new in
his new deal" and he Is Significantly
cautious in filling in the details. But
his personality counts for much and
he has set all the world specializing
as to what he wants and what his
strategy is to be.
What his aim is is pretty clear.
He has often coquetted with labor,
but that door Is now definitely closed.
He aims at a reconstruction of the
national government, with q small
inner cabinet of five, Of which he
would be a member, though not Gin
name) the head.
X II 4 Il
Can 1t be done? It would, Of
course, mean the disappearance Of
Ramsay Macdonald from the pre-
miership. But that will take place
in any case. The real cr,lx Is whether
Stanley Baldwin and Neville Cham
berlain would consent to take into
q cabinet OF which they are members
q colleague with whom they have
had such bitter disagreements in the
past and OF whose methods they 50
profoundly disapprove.
A year ago the answer to all these
questions would have been in the
negative. But today the national gov
ernment Is visibly sinking and the
only alternative to it Is q Labor gov
ernment, with the threat Of that
"first-class financial crisis" which Sir
Stafford Cripps, the leader Of the
Labor extremists, has said will be an
inevitable consequence Of his policy
in action.
In these circumstances the rehabili-
tation Of the national government
is felt in many quarters to be the
only defense against q threatened
disaster, and If the only way Of re-
habilitating 1t Is by including In It
the most skilful electioneerer Of our
time, it may be that Baldwin and
the rest will pocket their personal
feelings In Difference to what they
may regard as the national interests
and consent to Lloyd Georges terms.
That would be q eliminating triumph
with which to round on the most
dazzling career Of modern English
politics.
(copyrisht. 1e35A