A BITTER STRUGGLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 250, 21 October 1924, Page 5

A BITTER STRUGGLE.

BRITISH ELECTIONS. TOO MANY CANDIDATES. [THE 'PROPHETS' AT WORK. I_VBOUR AND tIBEKAL BOTH DOWNED. PINPRICKS FOR PREMESR. (By Cable—Press Association. -Copyright.l LONDON, October 2U. That there arc too many candidates to cause other than a confused issue is shown by the fact that 1420 candidates have been nominated for tin- 615 seats in the House of Commons to be contested at the general election on October £!>-. One Christian Pacifist and one Liberal have been nominated by the L'nivcrsity of Wales. There will be _3 three-cornered fights jn London. MR. BALDWIN PARADOXICAL. In the course of one of his speeches, Mr. Stanley Baldwin (leader of the Conservatives) said: "One might as well talk of a 'chilly hell' as of Labour's constitutional revolution."' The Conservatives claim that since Labour came into power the retail prices of bread, butter, bacon, and beef have increased. The city editor of the "Morning Post" states that the Stock Exchange takes it for granted, as protection is out of the way between the Unionists and the Liberals, that the Unionists will increase their numbers in the House of Commons considerably. Hence the rise in cilt-edged Mocks and the growing confidence in trade, as rellected in home rails and industrial shares. The election is no longer regarded as a bugbear, says the writer, but as a ground for tho hope that the forces of sanity will return to power. Sir John Simon, one of the Liberal leaders, in a speech, said that Socialism was rainbow-like. One never found the field where it ended. "FATHER TO TEE THOUGHT.'' Lord Thomson, speaking at Sheffield, said that if the so-called anti-Socialist pact were successful, it could only lead to a disastrous coalition, from which it would take 10 Mr. Baldwins to keep out Mr, Lloyd George. Such a coalition would mean another election in six months. Mr. Sidney Webb (President of the Board of Trade) appealed to his constituents, as it was Sunday, to calmly consider the solemn issues, lie asserted that the Liberal party's work was practically finished by that great measure, the Franchise Act of 10IS. The Liberals were already ranging themselves either with the Conservatives or with Labour. A total of 21 members of the last Parliament are not seeking re-election. The speeches delivered at the end of the week dealt almost exclusively with the Campbell case and the ltussian Treaty. Neither the Conservatives nor the Liberals are advocating their own planks half as strenuously as they are upposing Labours. ARCHBISHOP ON CONSEQUENCE A change in tone is, however, noticeable in some of the Liberal newspapers. These arc now warning their readers of the danger of the return of a Conservative Government as the result of overmuch harping upon the cry of "Socialism, the common danger." These journals state that the Conservatives' manifestos in reference to Imperial preference can be taken to entail an insidious form of protection. They also say that, although it was not mentioned in the manifestos, the Conservatives' policy, as approved at a partyconference on the eve bf the election, includes the restoration of the House of Lords' veto. The Archbishop of Canterbury, preaching at Sitting'bourne, said the people from Penzance and Scapa Plow must in m few days vote conscientiously for those they deemed to be the most lit to handle the great issues now at stake. They must not only think of their own islands, but of their responsibility for tho worldwide Empire. The election affected issues of enduring consequence for peace, stability, and progress throughout the , Dominions and India, as well as Britain.

HOW RUSSIA REGARDS IT.

TOio Moscow correspondent of the "Daily Express" says that Tchitcherin. the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs, reporting to the Federal Central lixecui tive upon the treaty between Britain and Russia, said that if the British Conservatives were returned to power it would be likely to produce a world crisis, which would greatly affect Russia. Some of the speakers advocated the rejection of the treaty. Others supported its ratification as an insurance against the growing hatred of Russia. -Subsequently tho executive decided to postpone the ratification of the treaty, owing to the British elections. Tt also instructed the Soviet Foreign Office not to make further concessions to England. Zinovieff, one of the triumvirate which forms tho real inner Government of Soviet Russia, in a speech, which was accompanied by laughter, described Mr. Mac Donald's situation as affording "the finest cinema display for us on the international political screen." The Russian leader taunted Mr. Mac Donald for having stated on the eve of his acceptance of tho Prime Ministership tiiat he was determined to have no "monkey tricks" from Moscow. Mr. Mac Donald was now fighting with his back to the wall. He must find serious arguments in favour of Bolshevism, and, willy-nilly, plead Moscow's cause and defend Campbell. Mr. Philip Snowden, speaking at Leeds, said: "If I am again Chancellor .of the Exchequer, there will be no loan to Russia without a substantial security, which will make default practically 'impossible."—(A. and N.Z., Reuter, and "Sun.")

i] A LESSON AND A LOSS.

r — (Reesived 0.30 a.m.) LONDON, October 20. While (Mr. Ackland (Liberal candidate for Teverton) was reading a lesson m church, he was summoned to his home at Kellerton Park, where a fire destroyed eight rooms, including his study. All his election papers and correspondence was lost. The damage is estimated at £10,000 sterling.—(A. and JLZ. Cable.) sen *