The Dominion. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1922 MR. BONAR LAW ON TEAM WORK

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 35, 4 November 1922, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1922 MR. BONAR LAW ON TEAM WORK

It. art address to women voters in -London, which is reported to-day, Mr. Bonar Law set out very clearly the essential difference between’his own leadership and that of Mr. Lloyd George. Doing so he stated fairly and dispassionately the central issue about to be submitted to the British electors.

Against the ex-Prime Minister s habitual attitude of undertaking deal. personally with any big question that emerged, Mr. Bonar Law set an entirely different conception of the functions of the head of the Government.

“‘My idea,” he said, “is that the man at the head of a big ■business allows the work to be done by others under his general supervision. That is the change we intend to make.” Although opinion on this subject in the United Kingdom is to some extent divided, an 'overwhelmingly strong case is to be made out for the change outlined by Mr. Bonar Law. At bottom it amounts simply to a return to normal methods of government, under which the whole strength and resources of an organised Cabinet will be brought to bear on the solution of post-war problems. It is not more obvious that a readjustment on these lines is necessary and desirable than that there was little chance of effecting it while Mr. Lloyd George remained at/the head of affairs. The habit of undertaking to deal with questions instead of leaving them to be dealt with in detail by his colleagues under his general supervision had become the fixed principle of • the ex-Primo Minister’s political leadership. There /is ho 'doubt that the overwhelming energy which he brought to bear on all sorts of problems worked out in confusion, and waste of effort. Under his leadership, as Mr. Bonar Law observes, people did not know where they were to-day, and could not tell where they would" be to-morrow. The situation has its paradoxical features. Mr. Bonar Law is at the head of the party which broke the Coalition. Yet he stands for precisely those conditions of co-operation and team-work which ought to rule in a coalition, and \must rule if it is to be of any value.

Mr. Lloyd George denounces the disruption of the late Coalition.' Yet his dictatorial methods are manifestly incompatible with the effective co-operation which alone justifies a coalition. The best reason the British electors have for supporting Mr. Bonar Law appears to be that he is anxious to establish and develop as nearly as possible the conditions of government that ought to have been brought about by the late Coalition. It is a great pity that the election issue is not being presented in this simple form, without complications or distracting side issues. Unfortunately, the possibility is raised that the Conservative “Diehards” may be so swayed by party prejudice as to precipitate a conflict with the National Liberals, to the mutual loss of both parties. The attitude taken by Mr. Bonar Law goes far to demonstrate, however, that he is the leader the country needs at this time. His evidently sincere and reasoned desire to introduce team-work, orderly methods, and continuity of policy meets the vital demands of the existing situation, and is likely to tnake a deep and farreaching impression on public opinion in the United Kingdom. What has every appearance of being significant evidence on this point is supplied in the Labour debacle at the British municipal elections, held within the. last day or two. .The very fact< that the -Labour Party representatives “expect to make a stiffer fight at the Parliamentary elections” indicates that the outcome of the municipal contests is not without. a suggestive bearing on these elections. ' '