Evening star., 1936-02-15
BALDWIN CRISIS
| H|NTED| DISPUTE
Opposition Cites Vigorous
Attack on Premier by
Chamberlain.


While all major po,Ders OF toorld
build armies and napies to netD
highs in fighting strength. Britain
considers similar policy to tune OF
estimated $500, 900, 900.
To make such increased potper
most effective, proposal has been
made for creation of ministry OF
defense, thus linking army, nauy
and air corps; also, creation OF de-
tense council in Which dominions
and colonies tDould haze represent.
Gtipe.
In United States, House yester-
day passed largest peace-time
appropriation bill for War Depart
ment.
(Copyrisht. 1886. by the Associated Press)
LONDON, February 15.-British
government opposition sources ad-
vanced q suggestion today that the
stormy House Of Commons defense
debate might precipitate q govern
ment crisis, imperiling the position OF
Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.
The criticism turned upon Baldwin
by Sir Austen chamberlain during
Yesterdays Commons discussion Of
the government project for increased
national defenses, opposition sources
said. might set In motion forces lead
ing to crisis.
Sir Austen, former foreign minister
and first lord of the admiralty, called
attention during the debate to what
he said were errors" by Baldwin in
defense questions.
The prestige of the prime minister
has been a much debated topic In the
Commons Hobbies since the collapse of
the Anglo French proposals for Italo-
Ethiopian peace.
Deep Hostility Seen.
Some opposition sources contended
that there was deep hostility toward
Baldwin from sections of his own
Conservative ranks.
They pointed out that when the
prime minister heard his reliability
questioned from his own party's front
bench by Sir Austen, one of the ma
tion's elder statesmen, none of his
followers raised q voice in protest or
in defense.
The government opinion, on the
other hand, inclined to the view that
Sir Austen's speech was more a plea
for efficiency in organization of the
national defenses, rather than per-
Snnol nrifinicvya NJ De
Sir Austen. stepping into the debate
as Admiral Sir Murray Sueter with
drew his bill for creation of a min
istry of defense upon an assurance
that the government was providing
fully for defense matters. cited:
A speech by Baldwin November Is,
1884, in which he said the German
air force was not approaching rapidly
Britain's strength-an estimate which
he conceded later to be wrong.
Admission Of Error.
The prime minister's admission that
the government erred In the peace pro-
posals for q partition of Ethiopia,
drawn up by former Foreign Secretary
Sir Samuel Hoare and former Premier
Pierre Laval, only to be discarded.
General bewilderment over this crit
icism was reflected by the Laborite
Herald, which asked:
Are the Tories preparing to put
Baldwin politically on a spot?"
Baldwin has lost his prestige and
his own men," the Herald's bitter edi-
torial said.
They don't trust him. They don't
respect him. He is suspected of in
dolence and indifference to his high
responsibility. = His own friends
have found him out at last, q lath
painted to look like IRON"
The Liberal News Chronicle en-
phasized that it would be difficult to
exaggerate the significance of Sir
Austen's speech, but the Telegraph
argued that it would be a mistake to
interpret the speech as q sign of revolt.