ELECTION AND FOREIGN POLICY.

Evening Star, Issue 18503, 10 December 1923, Page 6

ELECTION AND FOREIGN POLICY.

In the unsettled conditions by which Europe is afflicted to-day it was inevitable that unusual interest should be felt on the Continent in the British election. Would a new British Government, if that should result, work better with France? Would it be more or less disposed to be helpful to Germany than Mr Baldwin’s Government ? These hove been more important questions for observers across the

Channel than even the fiscal issue. An early analysis of probabilities from this viewpoint was that whichever way the election might turn out it was unlikely to be pleasing to M. Poincare. Protection would hit French exports, while a victory for either the Liberals or Labor would be unlikely to produce a policy on Britain’s part that would be more friendly to the French Premier’s highhanded methods than the policy of candid criticism, with concern for the avoidance of any final breach of the Entente, has been. The irresponsibility of the Bother mere Press, including the 1 Daily Mail,’ in England was shown most flagrantly during the election campaign, when Mr Baldwin was assailed by it as the malicious enemy of France. “To vote for Mr Baldwin,” its chief organ declared, " means to vote for quarrelling and breaking with France. ... Mr Baldwin is embark-

ing on tho most dangerous of all foreign policies—namely, the policy of pinpricks. Ho is constantly jabbing at France with his contemptible goad.” The French and Germans both know better than that. They know that, notwithstanding Mr Baldwin did his utmost to restrain France while tho belief of her Government in force, and nothing but force, in its dealings with Germany placed her on the side of tho worst reactionaries in Europe, and threatened most of all to defeat its own ends, all his wish was to preserve the Entente. His efforts were bent not on the dissolution of it, but on tho making it a co-operation of real usefulness, instead of the dead letter which it had become. He succeeded in maintaining better relations with tho chief Power of Europe than Mr Lloyd George, despite all his boasts of a formula to bring peace to tho Continent, had done. Mr Lloyd George has jabbed France with a vengeance since he wont out of office. One might think at times that it had been his chief delight. The French know which statesman is preferred by them. Paris messages since the polls state that the British election results have caused disappointment there, where it was generally assumed that the Baldwin Government would be less antagonistic to Franco than any other. It is observed by one journal that ’’ tho maintenance of the Entente will bo more difficult than ever if Mr Lloyd George does not return to power, and almost impossible if ho does.” Berlin newspapers are already greeting Mr Lloyd George, whose party takes third place in the election returns, as the victor of tho conflict, destined to be tho saviour of Germany when ho becomes Prime Minister. The whirligig of time does indeed bring in strange revenges when he is found so popular in the Fatherland. Mr Lloyd George is, however, a long way yet from tho Prime Ministership to which German Radicals in their enthusiasm would fain see him restored. In any Coalition Government which might result from tho present impasse a seat probably would ho assured to him; but it is quite uncertain yet that a Coalition Government will bo formed. If the Liberals should prefer to keep the Conservatives in office, without accepting the last responsibility for their policies, and Lord Derby should become the new Premier, there would be no fear, while such a Government lasted, of any disruption of the Entente. For two years immediately following the war, during which he was Ambassador to France, Lord Derby did much to cement the re lotions between tho two countries, and no British statesman is more popular in French circles. What gives most uncertainty to tho outlook for foreign as well domestic policies is that no Government which may be formed in the present state of British parties can be expected to Last long.