Newspapers / The Daily Advance (Elizabeth … / Dec. 15, 1923, edition 1 / Page 2
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New Political Situation Is Full Of Menace To The British Empire Breakdown of Party Government Has Paralyzed Domestic rnd Foreign Policy at Time of Grave Crisis in European ;t?d World A Hairs and Man Kr^lishmen Say Their Country Is ^sow Onlv Second or Third Pate Power. Il\ IICWK n. sniovns <'?>!?>riuliC l?> M<-< luri' Nrw-|ui|M'i' Washington, pre. 15.? l.ookinj; to the future there are two phases of the receut I'ritish ^r??;:?? i*j11 < lection which must command widespread interest. For Britain itself, this test opens new and disturbing horizons which can hardly he measured in advnm-e. lne theory ??! |;..ilianien'mv government. ;:s lSriL.sii !: . practiced ami taught it. h:is l>ro ken down, Uie t ?vo p.oi.v svxtei has either temporarily or ! ?? - manently disappeared to yriw place to the hloe form. Ai>;aiii, almost as siirnilic;ijit as the do mestic may he the foreign con se<iuences of this amazing elec tion. For Americans the rise of a third party in Great Itritain, must have tin gravest sort of significance. We have been many times- threatened with such an unwelcome condition in tin* pant, but always vv?* have managed to escape It. Nevertheless tli? i?? an* signs to be (Uncovered at this precise moment which suggest that what has arrived in England juay before long >otne lo lis also. Willi the. farm bloc ? showing Its strength and its deter minatio'i to control by paralysis If by no other method, with the morei than vague hint of a third pnrty re vplt In the forthcoming presidential* election. Hrltish experience must command American attention. Now, as far as the domestic |?'ia-" , of the Dritish sitiiation is concerned, It must be recognized at once that the presence of three pariin be sure, of equal strength, but ? a? h constituting a hopeless minority bv Itself, promise's to he no passing phase. In a word, as I he last test showed. the three parties st'eir all of them to have taken root, the lory and the Liberal resting on ancient and historic foundations, the Labor party giving every Indication of hav ing come to st;?> . A Difficult Me** If, for example, to get out of the present mess, the llritlsh should un dertake a new election, hoping that jAthis trial of strength one of the Inrce parties would get a clear ma jority, there is nothing anywhere discoverable which would sumicst that the election results would be materially different. \uthorlty would noce more be cut In three parts and executive action would thus remain completely paralyzed. Looking backward over the last three elections, it is clear to sc. that Labor Is on the gain. Llovd George's "Khaki Election" of 101s disclosed It at dead low water. Its lorder, Ranipay MacDonald was deflated and the still vital emotions of the war served to win for the I'lemh r of that hour a huge and even unwieidly majority of extreme Tories and un liberal Liberals. In a House of Com mons containing slightly more rhan 700 members Labor counted onlv ?; members, not onl^ fewer than the Tories and the Liberals but b\-? than Sinn Fein, which presently ? migrat ed to Ireland. A year ago, at tl general election following the ov? rthrow of Lloyd George, Labor obtained 112 -<ai- in n house of juc? over ?inn. |ty con trast the Tories bad I I. counting the Irish l'nion 1st* from 1 * 1st< r, while the two factions of t'i? Liberal party together mustered 117 Keats. The bitter fight between Lloyd George and Asqulth. however, might have been assumed to explain the paucity of Liberal members. Never theless the election of 1 f?22 gav?- to the Labor party a membership which not only made it the second party in the House of Commons but also dis closed it as n strong party Itself. LiiImu* Gaining Strength Finally In the Inst election Labor carried more than 100 seats, ns acalnst 2f?0 for the Tories and 150 for the reunited Liberals, nnd by virtue of this election demons!rated 1 Its right to be regarded henceforth as the official opposition, the second party In Great Itritain. In five years It had exactly trebled Its member ship. The reconciliation of Lloyd George and Asf|u)th, the possession by the Liberals of very large cam paign funds, the desperate brttle they made under very effective lead ership to re^ln their lost position, all came to nothing, a paltry caln of scats, but an inability to prevent Labor from obtaining many more seats and a much larscr popular vote. To make a government in England today, "lis recent conferences and press discussions have disclosed. It Is necessary to effect some sort of coal tlon between parties. Hut In the larger sense there can he no coali tion. The Tories have the largest ? MM . t ? ?ill ; .t. r I i.tt ? r I ??! |. :??(. I hip t., ; . r ill I.I'T l.iher.il r.?lr.|i, .? i wJn ii ail i -- ?-.1 i?l uiiil 11r* i> inaiu many <4 of itltMiluii ilhor'jiiici be l\vi ? a Cohj>? rv.itivcm and Liberals. A- for I.atior it is not less hostile* to the UlieralH than to tin' Tori*** allil W-' itml much dotlht looks wiuh mop * . ? upot i: "all win ? .. ii u|Mir I -1 o>: ? ?! *oiv . It i> not : r partial po*vi r. ii is not conc: ?i!.i I with a fncii^nar control of gov It I'.iiii.iif impose its principles and its progTUInme upon; (!rr;it Ilritain until it lis;? a clear ma-! Joiity and i? has ever* reason for rejecting any limited power coupled with almost unlimited responsibility. It rained 80 Beats between 1018 and 1922. It gained 50 more between, 1022 and 1021 At this rate of prog-' reus it ran expect to come to its >wn before too long and it can afford to, wait. Why No Derby Ministry Tin- press for days has been filled with discussions of possible combin ations. n llerby Ministry drawn chielty fnmi Tories and Li be rah. a comnrombe which would be neces sarily colourless and in all huiiian probability doomed to but a brief, tenure of office. Hut Lord Derby Is the most conspicuous Francophil* in Knuland and a clear majority of the Liberal Party is hostile not alone to the friendly policy advocated by Der by, but even to th?* more critical and unsympathetic policy of Stanley Baldwin. You have there, then, the revela tion of one of the croit difficulties, of the situation. Lthrrals and Tor ies are close together in their oppo sition to the Labor policies of which capital levy is the most notorious, but Liberals and Labor members are Just as clo*e together In the opposi tion to an\thing but open and deter mined resistance to the 1'olncare pol-, Icy <?n the Continent. Since, n.i re over. foreign policy Is one of the. most Important of present probh ins. It is terribly hard to Bee how a I>? rby ? Ministry, could hold On for long. The whole theory of the llritish J Parliamentary system, like our theo ry of government re*|s upon the as sumption of two parties, which to gether. express the complete political convictions of the population. As lonu as Kngllshm* n are either T'-rics or Liberals the thing works perfect ly. .fust as It works with us when there are only Democrats and Re publicans. When the Irish nu? Hon wr.s uns< tiled. Ireland sent a third part1, to Weyi mi lister, but It was a third ? ?'rty onl> upon a ? luule i^ve and. in the main co.ilii Work wi.h tl ?? Liberals. < .'roups Si*-m Irrc-ovdhiMe Today. hove\. r. I ih<r.- i rot to be reconciled either witli the Liber als cr Hie Tories because It repre sents a char anil definite program: And it I* ju.'t as hard to mm- any real basis of pt rtiianent co-ope ration he tween the Tories and the Liberals. What i- njyfcst baffling nnd at the same i te most dangerous in the llritish situation is the fact that the present state of public opinion in (?rent Ilritain is divided not Into two ramp* but Into three, that the three group*- are utterly distinct, and seek, as to major objectives, three mutual ly exclusive ends. Now. If this be true. It Is going to be ImpossibTe for a long time at hast to get any really representative Min istry. You can patch together tem porary coalitions to "carry on" as the llritish say. to keep the machin ery of government running so far as I!i?? routim i- cor.ret i" d and not ? \ ? ii ?.;i- :???> d? sir*- to prwipi ehao*. I:? y?.?i rannnt arriv* at ."tx pn.rain ? -ivli* r legislative or mo-ii-:iiiti*? ;i 1. v??u cannot have sta 4iiui> or i"Titian* nee. Two cPiipi1 wtiifli ii'.rt1 on foreign policy ;?re at i ??tn!,}? t. v.irianr?' in all itu]w?itunt i!oiiii tie mall* r-4. wliil?- other un.'ttp:* which could ;???! tootle r at ar?? di\id*d on l'of.ltn polfr* W'liat llif' i ? .m> for '* .it llri'a ? at tMs h??:ir liitl-l ' "iil! 1 ** appr* ?*ia!?*?!. 11 d?- h ' in 1 ?. . ? that 14,? : r' ' . of t1i?- ISrii. ? --If. ilion at |?r? -? *.i ? 1 ? ? m i .i. ur a' si 1 ? |*i? *?{;?!' ?' i:-" tl?- I'!t?-*! Stu:? Wiiii.niH *-a- ration. ;he dome-lie oriHlf- is 11:?? *.?? r*Tc?vf !n a cvtitur... T'?o i <*onou:i?*'rititatlosi I not only !>ad, but it ha.- Iwi'ii bat! fcr a time ami no one ran *ee any I ? I i- ; i lor hoping that it wil' l?? ?,r . improved in the Immediate fu: 'i . t'riemploymcnt. overtaxa tion. iI ind very general sufferinu. tlx? ? ar :he manifest circumstances of Itritlsh life. t: adjustment Imprmt liable \l I'onv it has been found lirpos ^iM to readjust national life de Rplte li?>rolc and even d**s|erate ef-, fort i. Abroad it has li? en i-qti.illy impossible to contribute mat* i'ally to tin' restoration of economic pros perlty on which in the last analysis British domestic pros|>erity <1* pends.1 In tfie past two years British prefdige and British influence in the world have sunk to an almost unbelievably I low level. Knylisbnien of my ac- - qualntance. with clear exaggeration |M>rhaps. speak of their country as having heroine a second and ev? n a third-rate power. Now it is axiomatic that the pres ent economic and political position! of Great Britain cannot be Improved until there are both efficient leader-; ship nnd'vuhstantial unity in British 1 political life. The supreme advan tage that I'oincare has had in the past two years in an ev? r lncrea:inii measure lias crown out of the fact , that lie represented an indestmctibh majority in the Chamber of. Deputies I and was himself capable of follow-: in? a definite line with utmost con-! slshncy and very ureat firmness. He! has known what he wanted, he has' wanted what he knew his country men desired and lie has been able tb! resist all exterior pressure. This was the advantage .which be '?r !!:.? Iit>f Tli- i it *vl ii ". v, a ? -?-Mu: \ ? *!??? v < r !?sir?!t<\i: ?. ?! ; at !.???*?? ai.ij a ?!,\ ?i I! .? v.? .. I" !m* ? rj?? .| < ? : ?>* - I.I ?? .? ??!>?? u ;??> I i< ii i?.i .. t . t* -i N !i" ? : J: -x-t >4 fiojr 0/ Good | Cigars for iltp Man who Miuikm. You ran find hi- hrnml ? al ? The Apothecary Shop Who Pays them after you're? Qone / BILLS for irowrlfi and clothe* will rome on the firnt of the month *hether you are here to pay tbera or not. Will your wife or your rhildren have to pa out to earn the money to pay thenft? or Will you arrange that a check ohall he mailed to them each month by THE EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY ?f \u L'fflTM ?TATI? ALVIN T. HALEY BPKCIAL ACiKNT 214-21A II In ton flalldlng The Gift Supreme! Luggage Goods Here is a Shop?just bilrn with gifts that every man, woman or ehihl would he pleased to receive. First consideration has lieeu fiivrn to ipiality. That hcing a certainty, the low prices will induce every prospective huyer to come here. Our stock of Trunks, Traveling Bags, Suits Cases, Hat Boxes and other leather articles is the hest in Eastern North Carolina. Spencer-Walker Co. 'Where Every Man Finds IT'liat He Liln'8 to Wear" Gifts That Express The True Christmas Spirit! A Gift for the hoiiy^lirinpw more happiness unil comfort than any other. It mokes that "Dearest ?|Kil on earth" a hdlrr and plcasantcr place to dwell. Our Iteantiftil Fiirnitnre offers -core* of such attractive suggestion* that will express the Christmas spirit in it* finest senn*. ODD PIECES \\I) SUTES VT A WIDE RANGE OF PRICES. Plenty of Toys Here for Last Minute Suggestions Sellers Kitchen Cabinets Quinn Furniture Company
The Daily Advance (Elizabeth City, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 15, 1923, edition 1
2
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