FIERCE PARTY STRIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 252, 23 October 1924, Page 5

FIERCE PARTY STRIFE.

i •—-—■ CAMPAIGN GROWING HOTTER

LABOUR BETWEEN TWO FIRES

PROVOCATIVE SPEECHES.

j IORD CURZON HITS HARD.

A SLASHING ATTACK. I

IBj- Cable.—rress Association.—Copyright.)

(Received 12 noon.) LONDON, October 22,

Idrd Birkenhead, speaking in London, B jd he believed that the heart of the nation was sound and true, and would repudiate tho mad economic philosophy derived from the hysterical writings of jkrl Marx. He found everywhere a stem determination not to permit the erjme of lending money to Russia, which ~85 the most important issue of the election. Lord Curzon, speaking in London, said tie Russian loajj disturbed the commercial community more than tho proposal 0 f the Isabour Government, whose assumption of office was a foolish, fatuous experiment, due to the stupidity of the Liberal party. He ridiculed *3lr. (jfaoDonald's assertion that his Government had in eight imonths contributed more to peace than all other parties in the last eight years. Lord Curzon had himself received personal private assurance from each of the Dominion Ministers that they were entirely satisfied with foreign policy in the past, and desired its continuance on the same lines and in the same hands. Labour bad no real conception of the Imperial idea, bat merely paid lip service to the Dominions. DISGRACEFUL — HUMIIiIATING.

Mr. Thomas' numerous speeches, said lord Curzon, boiled over with frothy jatriotism, but they pursued a policy apart from and contemptuous of the Dominions. They dropped resolutions of the Imperial Conference on Imperial preference and the Singapore scheme, which He Dominions considered vital to their security, and finally signed the Soviet Treaty, wherewith not a single Dominion Prime Minister had tho smallest sympathy. It was the most humiliating and disgraceful act in British annals. They were in the hands of their gunmen. The country would insist on having a Govenunont that would not allow the claims of citizens of the Empire to be bartered in return for the embraces of Bolshevists (neuter.) - , ii . THE RUSSIAN TREATY. •AIT ASTOUNDING BLUNDER." THE LIBERAL SITUATION.

LONDON, October 22. AH the political parties in Britain.are how working their hardest in connection with the general election next Wednes- *-*".■■'■

The''chairman Of-- the Conservative organisation, Lieutenant-Colonel F. S. Jackson, after a tour of the constituencies, expressed tlie opinion that the Conservative party will be returned with an • increase pf strength. He said he did not think the Liberal electors would vote for the Socialists, but there anight iii abstentions. The Liberals, ih straight-out fights, could depend on the Conservative vote, he said,, more than lie Conservatives could depend on the Liberal vote.

Colonel Jackson added that the experience of the Conservative candidates was that the'eountry was deeply interested in the question of Empire development. This was an effective counterMast to the internationalism of the Socialist party.

. CURZON ON MACDONALD. In. a speech in London, Marquess" Corzon said it was not for the Prime -mister, Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, to inj inmate that when Labour entered into ' office it found the wreckage of previous mistakes. "On the contrary," said the speaker, "I had the private and personal assurance of each Dominion Minister who attended the Imperial Conference that he was entirely satisfied with $he Conservatives' foreign policy, and desired nothing better." Mr. Mac Donald had shown prudence and self-restraint when he first went into office, said Marquess Curzon. He could not understand how such a caution's, far-sighted politician had committed, such an astounding blunder-as tie Russian treaty. "The Bolsheviks .frequently burned ray effigy because I maintained British rights," he said, "but RiKßian women desired to burn a candle forme in church. Are candles now burning for Mr. Mac Donald.in Moscow?" Labour had •no conception of the Imperial idea, continued the speaker. He Campbell case and the Russian treaty showed that the late Government was in the hands of its own gun-men. The,countrv would revolt against the (itremists who nulled the strings which >ld the Prime Minister in bondage.

DUTY OF LIBERALS. Mr. H. H. Asquith's statement at Paisley is being given prominence in the Press. In this he said that both the old political parties believed they were con fronted, in this election, with a common danger, which, without loss of identity or compromise on principle, they were making reciprocal efforts to avert, for his own part, he saw nothing in «nch a procedure which violated in any *ay the most vigorous code of public honour or political consistency. "The "Daily Telegraph" comments that the Liberals and the Unionists alike will welcome this declaration, which, it is held should clear uo any doubts the Wberals may have entertained regarding their duty in 'the present election. In a speech'at Colne Valley, Mr. Philip Snowden, Chancellor of the Exchequer, commenting on Mr. Asquith's remarks on Labour, asked how lons had Labour ]>een a common enemy. How .long was it since they were told that the Liberal and the Labour pnrties were agreed Upon nine-tpnths of the Labour programme?

CAMPBELL CASE DEAD. In. spite of the most provocative Speeches, there is no fresh light on the .(ifnpbell case. The "Daily Telegraph" a doubt whether the matter J? worth pursuing. It says that only "in investigation can now decide whether .tie Ministers are right in asserting 'here is absolutely nothing left unrepealed or whether Earl Birkenhead is "Sat to his assertion that there are hirther grave facts which have not vet <*«n brought to light.—(A. and N.Z — Heater— "Sun.")

N.Z. "LABOUR VIEWS. The "Morning Post" states that in connection with a telegram from New Zealand purporting to express the views 'of the Dominion Labour party on the 'present political situation in Britain, it has received a message from a wellinformed New Zealand correspondent. This states that the former message gave a totally inaccurate impression of the real views of the general Labour movement in the Dominion.

Tltis correspondent asserts that New Zealand workers, so far from endorsing the British Socialists' actions, were not even consulted regarding the expression of opinion cabled. The New Zealand Labour party, he adds, merely represents a section of the employees, and many Labour unions are not affiliated with it. LIBERALS INDIGNANT. The question as to how Liberals will vote in constituencies whero there is a straight-out fight between Conservatives and Labourites is attaining increased importance. Liberal headquarters have issued a statement, in reply to a request as to whether they are advising the rank-and-file, that in such circumstances they decline to dictate. They add that indignation at the Labourites' tactics in forcing the election, and venomously attacking Liberalism, has stiffened Liberals throughout the country. It will be surprising if Labourites' hopos for Liberal support are not disappointed utterly. ,

Mr. Lloyd George, opening a motor tour of Lancashire, declared that the Liberals must be true to the noblest traditions of John Bright and Gladstone, and vote for sane progress, and against financing anarchy, chaos, and confiscation, both in Russia and elsewhere. SINISTER ALLEGATIONS. Mr. Harney, speaking in South Shields, gave a now turn to the Campbell controversy. He alleged it was untrue that Sir Patrick Hastings, as stated in the House of Commons, did not know what reasons the prosecution intended to give in the Police Court for the withdrawal of the ease. On the contrary, Sir Patrick Hastings and the secretary of Mr. Travers Humphries (the prosecutor), conferred at the Garrick Club. Sir Patrick Hastings took a pen, and deleted four grounds which Humphreys desired to include in the announcement of withdrawal. "Mr. Harney added: "We do not' know half the facts. Thero is something sinister to hide. The Government resorted to the election in the hope of throwing sufficient dust in the electors' eyes to prevent an inquiry.— (A* "and N.Z. Cable.) "TIMES'' CRITICISM OF LABOUR (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, October 22. The London "Times" says the most remarkable feature of the -Labour | party's manifesto is the almost oomplcte silence on Empire subjects. Why does it fix its gaze so ardently on Bolshevist trade, coyly averting it from promising Dominion markets? Why the enormous Bolshevik preference, camouflaged under the guarantee of a Joan, when rejecting trifling preference to a few insignificent Dominion commodities? During the last three years, fifteen millions of countrymen in Australasia and Canada .imported from Britain more than £170,000,000 worth of goods. Preference was not the only subject .wherein the Government, seemed contemptuous of Empire opinion. "Though it was able to pledge thirty million to obtain visionary trade from Russia, economy forbids the finding of a million for the Singapore base, which Australasia deems essential to her security. They plume themselves on Lord Parmoor's Geneva protocol, without troubling about the Dominions' views, especially upon the vital matter of Oriental immigration."—("Times.") SHAMELESS RUSSIAN ON LOAN. (Received 12.30 pun.)' " '"' MOSCOW, October 22. Litvinoff, in an article in "Pravda," Bays: "We are not fools for signing the Anglo-Russian treaty; the real fools are a long way from here. We only want cash. We have not even said' we W'li pay; we only agreed to discuss the English claims after the loan was granted."

I Moscow newspapers gloating oyer the I recent progress, say that Communism, 1 after five years' efforts, is approaching the hour of triumph in the Far East, and will shortly see China's 400,000.000 united in a Communist international. After China comes India', and after India comes the world revolution. —("Sun.") (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, October 22. Qlr. F. M. B. Fisher, the New Zealand Conservative, who is fighting Mr. Charles Trevelyan (Labour) for the Newcastle seat, is handicapped by most disorderly meetings.—.("Sun;")