BRITISH POLITICS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16703, 11 December 1919, Page 10

BRITISH POLITICS.

PREMIER ON PARTY STRIFE. (By Car!e—V:*** A*tor:.v.:on — t.Vustrahiui »r 1 S.Z. CabV Aiwut: LONDON, Dw:i:ber O. Mr I.loyd (ii-orjic, in a ?pce?h at the j Manchester Itfiorin C üb. .iddress'.n? ! thf> catfM'rin;: a* ''tellow Liberal*, pointed nut that the conditions within I the Liberal l'arty h::d boon distressing ; during the p:i.st three years. His ' lation trom the part" had pained him d<x*p:y. !>nt reasons affrrtin:; the v.hot'country made tli< % it imperative, though there \r:i- no icrirMlent en quo-tiens of principle, lie had d in- In~ ut:n-ist to avert tlt» split, but he woul 1 h;ive leeti a traitor if he had othenvi-e than he did. bi hi' believed that nnless a ne-.v spirit was in- : parted to the war the Al.'.ed cause ! would be lost. ! A continnnnre of nntroml iii'ity was' ill ;is a.-t d'irir.g ilie war time, and he was confident that pnrty polities should nnt yet bi- resumed. Ho neviT in hi- liletime h"d (Miarrvl- | led with Mr Asv|iiith. and would never ; utter a wnrd of iudcindne<> a.iiinst lii:n. I Party strife in America hi'd remitedi ! in jeopardising Peace and endangering the League of Nations in a country which tc.olc a prominent part in promoting it. Was n't this a w'rn : tin* we were n.Tt yet through il>«> woD'l 'f Germany thought she was able to take ndvnntiisre of the d fT j renecs in America. Mr Lb yd (rcon'e de-lared that lie \va> a freo trader. TL> outlined the logislatio'.i parsed bv the Coalition as evidence* of what the sn-cnlled reactionary Government had done f-r pro^re.- 1 -. He lioped to make a successful c ntributio-i to the Irish filiation. and pointrd out l that the I'nionists wero prepared to I make preat s-.icrifr-rs in order to preserve national unity. It was useless to discuss problems of Irish liberty wh"n crime and anarchy were rampant. Ho : denied that free trade was inseparable j from d'.nnpinp. which injured tree trade. Tin' Government had been asked to divide the nation in the fa-e of t vipilant enemy, in order to unite Literals ; on German dumping. | Mr Llovd Ccorire admitted that the Anti-Dumping Hill wna retrogressive, hut In- said that tho promoters of the Tariff Rill of 101 G. or the Runrimnn Resolutions at Paris, which singled out one nation for hostile legislation after tlio war. could not condemn the Government's attitude. Ho, as a freetrader. refused to believe that tho cause of free trade was inseparable

from permitting (lumping, which Mr Asnuith had styled unfair competition. To remove dumping would strengthen free trade. This one measure was evidentlv to ho used to urge the Liberals to abandon their pledpes, and further divide the nation and hamper reconstruction. They iirere asked to leavo tho combination which had carried the greatest Reform Act, the greatest land reform ever carried, and which was pledged to I Vmo Rule, and to liberal institutions in India. Continuing, Mr Lloyd Georgo said: "Wo arc asked to_ divide the nation in: tho face of a vigilant onemy in order to ro-unit© the Liberal Party on tho German dump heap. That is not going to make Liberalism a living force." Tho Promier paid .*i tribute to the loyalty of his Unionist colleagues to their election pledges. Ho said Chat Sir Walter Runciman recently advocated cooperation of tho best elements of the Liberals and Labour. The same thing applied to the best elements of the Liberals and Unionists. I He asked Sir Asquith whether he, if ho had been in power at Iho end of the war, would have dismissed his Unionist colleagues who had helped to win tho war. Tho only alterna£ivo to coaJilion was confusion. Thcro was now a chnllenge to civilisation affecting the wholo fabric of society. lb had declared private enterprise a failure which must bo rooted out. Those who believed- In the virtues of private enterprise must remove tho evils which had provoked this challcnire to national unity. This alone could savo Britain, Europe, and tho world. He appealed to Liberalism to participate worthily in a united effort to save tho world.

THE HOUSING BILL. IXTNDON, December 9. TTio House of Commons carried the sccond reading of tho Housing Bil] without a division. fA message on November 29th Baid: In order to deal -with the housing problem, Mr Lloyd George is calling a conference of trades unions. Ho will appeal for the relaxation of all restrictions in connexion with building, particularly bricklaying. He also desires that 200,000 more men should bo employed in the building trade. Tho Government will spend £15.000,000 during tho coming year in building 100,0C0 hou.scs.l THE SFEN VALLEY SEAT. LONDON, December 8. A meeting of Coalition and Independent Liberal memlhors of tho House of Commons discussed the action of tho Whip's office in selecting a candidate for Spen Valley to oppose Sir John Simon, whom tho local association had selected. It was decided <to postpone action till next session, when tho whole matter will bo debated as a question of principle. COST OF PENSIONS. LONDON, December 8. The total cost of pensions for the current financial year amounts to £104.1)1)9,000. ' THE GOVERNMENT POLICY. STATEMENT BY MB LLOYD GEORGE. ' ] (Received December 10th, 8.40 p.m.) I LONDON, December 9. Mr Lloyd Georgo, at Downing street, assured a deputation of Trade Union leaders that the Government's policy was one of non-interference in tne internal affaire of Russia. The British ships and troops had been withdrawn. He said that if the Peace Treaty with Germany was signed, not a conscript should remain in the British Army after February. Tho Government could not continue the unemployment doles. MR. BONXR LAWS PREDICTION. "(Benter's T«lecraxn*J (Received December 11th, 12.50 a.m.) LONDON, December 9. Spoaking at Glasgow, Mr Bonar l.*w prophesied that there would be no general election for at least three years.