FEDERAL POLITICS

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16598, 11 August 1919, Page 10

FEDERAL POLITICS

FRICTION AND PETTY JEALOUSIES. (FROM on OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, July 28. It is announced that what aro at pre. sent- the two leaders of tho Liberal wing of tlic Nationalist Tarty in tho Federal Parliament arc about.to retire from tho Cabinet. ' Mr ' "Watt, a strong personsi lity and an able Statesman:, goes beciuiso ho is very.sick; Senator Millen, who lias only become prominent tlirough the marked mediocrity of his colleagues, l>ccau«so ho is tired. Meanwhile Mr Hughes, with tho weary and querulous Sir Joseph Cook in his train, is nearing theso shores. Tho Federal political position is in that stage mow that it will either crumble into utter confusion, or it will respond to tho magic touch of Mr Hughes, which may revitalise tho National Party. Everything depends upon the temper of tho country when Mr Hughes arrives, and ou tho appeal ho will make. There is no doubt tnat Mr Hughes is coming in full war-paint, ready to fight for his throne. Ho is armed with all sorts of facts and figures it bout which wo know nothing to-day, concerning our post-war commitments and liabilities. Ho will tell ns what we may expect out of the German war indemnity, iwhat wo aro committed to in the war of preferential 1 arifts, anil what ho has dono in tho way 01 shipping. . fir the. little statesman finds the country purring under his hand, while his Nationalist team, as now seems likely, is. unruly, he may quite likely rush the country into a general election, making the issuo one between moderate Labour :ind . Bolshevism. The country is having an overdose of Bolshevism just now, jtod may quite likely turn> furiously to ihe moderates, and forget, for the moment, its grievances against tho profiteers, for whom many hold tho Nationalists responsible. If Mr Hughes dccidcs to carry on until next March, when thero is a general election, ho will havo a merry time of it reconstructing his Cabinet. With Watt and Millen gone, ho will have no man of any marked ability left in association with him, for even Sir Josepli Cook, though an experienced l>oliticinn and campaigner, is <not an outstanding figure. There is not complete harmony in tho National Party, and friction and petty jealousies may lead to anything. Now that sickness has laid Mr Watt aside, and thero is no further chance of his becoming the great moderate leader, everything depends upon the circumstances surrounding the return of Mr Hughes to tho Federal political arena.