ENGLISH POLITICS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 9

ENGLISH POLITICS

THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY

MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S GREAT

MISTAKE.

U'ROJJ OUtt OWN COr.RBSPONDENT.)

LONDON, 12th July.

Speaking at Shipton-under-Wychwood to the Conservative and Unionist Association, Lord Younger declared that he never for one moment believed that the Coalition formed in 1918 would survive that particular Parliament. There was very nearly a second Coalition election, he said, and if, in January,' 1922, Mr. Lloyd George had hnd his way, there would have been, and the Conservative Party would have .been caught napping. " The one mistake the late Prime Minister-made—and it-was a big one," continued Lord Younger—" was not to fight me when I opposed him in January of that year. .That settled him, because the moment it was seen that he was defeated in that way, and the moment people took into consideration that defeat, all the disgruntled elements in our party and other parties made their voices felt, and an avalanche of opposition and criticism poured into the Central Office from that time until the Carlton Club meeting. But it would have been very different if Mr. Lloyd George had withstood the Central Office opposition at that time. • If the Conservative Party had been broken and shattered as the 'Liberal Party was shattered ill! 1918, this country would have been in a parlous state, and no one could have said what might have happened."

He had heard it said that there was a good deal of genius in this matter. There was nothing of the kind. There was a guiding star—namely, the unity of the party—and it was a jsimpl e mat-ter-to say "No" to any. step which threatened to destroy that unity. Mr. Bonar- Law's self-sacrifice in coming back and doing what he did at the Carlton ' Club saved the nation! Nothing less than that would be attributed to him by the historian. Lord Younger gave equal praise to Mr. Bpnar Law's successor. He thanked Heaven that Mr. Baldwin had a keen sense of humour, for no one would ever be a sue-, cessful politician without that attribute. He was satisfied Mr. Baldwin would deal with the difficulties of his office as successfully as it was possible for any human being to do. One of the great objections to the last Coalition Government -was that it never settled anything, but .left everything in a condition of chaog/ If they had tackled the Reparations question at the beginning, as they ought to have done, we should not be in the position sWe were in to-day. Referring to the Labour Party, he said that an intensive propaganda was going on at the present moment by the extremists, and it was almost impossible for the" Unionist Central Office to cope with it with" the funds at their disposal. They had to counteract that propaganda to the best of their ability, and to, see that those attacks on the conditions in which we lived were successfully resisted. The one party in a position to' do that was the Unionist Party. STRENGTH OF THE COUNTRY. Mr. Neville Chamberlain, speaking at Birmingham; said he did not believe the Conservative Party was ever in better heart, more confident in its strength, and more, determined in its purpose than it was to-day. The country saw the Liberals talking of reunion, but going into different lobbies in the House of Commons, and it was watching the curious spectacle of the extreme Socalists openly defying their leaders, and then being taken into a private room to be smacked', and having to pretend they liked it. (Laughter.) No wonder the electors turned to the one party which was united in thought and action anJ which, without making extravagant promises, was carrying out steadily and quietly a programme of moderate and sane legislation adapted to the needs of the country.. ' A GENTLEMANLY PARTY: Speaking at Farnham, Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, M.P., denied that the Labour Party was merely a class party He said they wanted to solve th c material problems, m order that the whole nation could bend its energies to the solution of moral problems. They wanted homes, that would not be hutcheshomes that men and women could go into and feel they s were entering the threshold of a temple. The only party that was a class party in politics to-day was the Tory Party, because it was always looking after its own interests. He instanced the ownership of land and mines; declaring that if he had the power to appoint a Commission to inquire into coal production, he would not put a single miner or Labour man or Soicahst on it. ' He would only ap. point competent and impartial -business men, and would .guarantee that they would report that thS private ownership of mines was a waste, and never could be successful. The Labour Party, being careful of the community rather than of a class, would solve the problem by nationahaation. Referring to the action which resulted m the land valuation .clause being deleted from the Budget, he said there was an arrangement with ihe Government Whips that the debate was to conclude at midnight. A division was forced _and the Government was afraid to put its Whips on and to stand by the arrangement. He added: »W e carried out our pledges loyally, because the Labour Party is a gentlemanly partr : wJ ong | BSp mak6 a Wain ii'tho House of Commons, or out of it the persons -with whom I make a bargain can depend upon my carrying it out"