POLITICAL STORMS

Evening Star, Issue 18256, 21 April 1923, Page 3

POLITICAL STORMS

fr.n LLOYD GEORGE’S PROPHECY. GROWING POWER OF SOCIALISM. TWO WAYS TO RESIST IT. Prcja Association—By Telegraphy-Copyright, LONDON, April 19 Received April 21, at 8.5 a.m. [Tho following and all of Mr Lloyd George’s articles are copyright by tho United Press Association m America (all countries), copyright in Australia, and New Zealand by the Australian Press Association, copyright in Britain by tho ‘Daily Chronicle.’ Reproduction in full or part is prohibited.] Mr Lloyd George writes A few weeks ago I predicted that the comparative calm prevailing in British political sens during tho past few years was coining to an end. Recent parliamentary scenes leave no doubt that the prolonged political depression will bo followed by a period of storms, and it may be of hurricanes. No amount of organisation or propaganda can excite real feeling in an electorate over trivial, unreal issues. Tho war was real enough, but the war was supported by men of all parties; therefore it provoked no political controversy, tho minority opposing it being negligible. The Treaty of Peace, on the whole, was accepted by all parties when it was first submitted to Parliament. Tho Coalition’s legislation, although in ordinary seasons it would have aroused angry passions, coming as it did after the war had exhausted emotions, were passed with no more than a feeble murmur of protest. Take, for instance, adult suffrage, the enfranchisement ot women, the wholesale reduction of hours of labor, representative government for India, and, notably, Home Rule for Ireland, which was more complete than any proposed by Mr Gladstone. Any of these subjects before the war would have led to heated discussions throughout the land. SUPPRESSION AND REBOUND.

Ireland’s case was mast significant of tho changed temper of the nation immediately after tho war. Fiercer passions had been stirred over Ireland than over any other political question in modem times. Tho causes underlying the conflict dealt with tho most powerful motives which make the human heart throb—race and religion. There was the old feud between Saxon and Gael, extending over at least seven centuries. When Mr Gladstone proposed to settle this raging tumult by wresting the supremacy from the race which Had been dominant for 700 years passions were raised keener and _ angrier than any witnessed in British politics for many a day. It led to scenes of physical violence on the floor of the House. It shows what we may expect when a genuine division of opinion profoundly moves masses of men and women in democracy. For years political controversy had been suspended m the presence of a common danger. Reaction was inevitable, and tho greater the suppression tho more violent the rebound. THE CHALLENGE OF SOCIALISM. That, however, docs not altogether account for tho omens visible of a coming struggle unprecedented in gravity. Fundamental issues have been raiseu of such moments to millions that they cannot ho settled without ft struggle that will rock society. Tho scene enacted in the Commons a few days ago gave mo an uneasy feeling that the period of calm was definitely over. Parliament henceforth must expect gusts and gales, and worse. There are signs of __ a groat stir coming in British politics. The cause is easily explained. Tho souse of exhaustion is passing away, and issues containing a serious challenge to tho rights and privileges of powerful classes of the community and vital to the interests o£ all classes iiave been raised by one of the great political parties that divide Britain. Tho momentous character of that challenge may bo gathered from tho terms of Mr Snowden’s motion. Few men outside the Socialist Party wore quite prepared for this demand of a complete change in the organisation of society. Even for students of socialistic literature tho actual introduction of tho resolution came as a surprise and shock. At last election tho Socialist poll aggregated tho imposing figure, of 4,251,000 votes. Mr Ramsay MacDonald states categorically that ho knows that tho Independent Labor members, exclusive of their leaders, favor nationalisation and a capital levy. Tims nearly ono half of the British electorate is already prepared to assent to Socialism in easy stages, which is the purport of Mr Snowden's amendment. Hence tho new sense of struggle with which the political atmosphere is palpitating. Capitalism is to be arrainged before tho supreme court af tho nation, condemned and sentenced to be executed by instalments in Chinese fashion. The composition of that court to-day is not favor-, able to the prosecution, but who will be tho judges alter next General Election? WHAT COMPLACENCY OVERLOOKS. The average comfortable citizen is still inclined to think these Socialist schemes so crazy as to be impossible. They cannot believe that"twenty-one million sane people can possibly contemplate giving sanction to such fancies. These two cardinal facts are constantly overlooked by the complacent : First, propertyless men and women constitute an overwhelming majority of tho electors. The second fact is the great preponderance of the industrial population over the steadier, more solid agricultural population, bixly per cent, of the population in America, France, and Italy are still agrarian. Barely 10 per cent, of tho British people are engaged in cultivating tho soil. Alost of our workers have their being in tho crowded, excitable atmosphere of factories, workshops, and mines. Hence the rapidity with which tho fever spreads. (Jan it be arrested ? N othing will be done until the danger is visible to every eye. Tho trouble can bo averted only in two ways. One is the systematic inculcation of sound doctrines of economic truth into tho minds of workers. The second and more important is the rooting out of social evils which furnish the revolutionary with a striking and indisputable object lesson of the failure of the capit.distic system as an agent of human happiness. Without the latter the former effort would bo futile. Meanwhile let the champions of the existing order take note of Socialists’ efforts to advertise their eagerness to redress the wrongs of ex-service-men and soften the asperities of discipline for soldiers. The Socialists have shrewdly noted tho cause producing the overthrow of their Italian Brethren, and mean to ensure that, if Fascism comes to Great Britain, it will be an ally, not a foe.—A. and N.Z. Cable.