POLITICAL CRISIS.

Grey River Argus, 16 October 1922, Page 5

POLITICAL CRISIS.

BRITISH TORIES’ FEAR. LABOUR MAY WIN ELECTION. CHAMBERLAIN HAS THE WIND UP. attempts to scare the ELECTORE. [A. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Receiver October 15, at 5.5. p.m.) LONDON, October 13.

The Rt. Hon. Austen Chamberlain, leader of the Unionist Party in the Coalition, delivered his speech on the political situation at the city of Birmingham. He said that he could not say when the General Election will

take place. The reason was that it was Mr Lloyd George’s prerogative to dissolve Parliament. He (Chamberlain) was convinced, however, that in any n-ew Parliament, there must be a Coalition Government. If Labour obtained a majority at the elections, he said he would foreshadow a Government by the Labour Caucus, also with a capital levy. Such levy would destroy industry. Therefore, he declared, they must not permit the National reconstruction experiments to fall into the hands of a subversive, if not a revolutionary party. Hence the need of another coalition in any new Parliament. ments to fall into the hands of a subversive, if not a revolutionary party. GEORGE A TORY TOO! Mr Chamberlain said that he spoke under a great sense of his obligation to the Party which he had represented in Parliament for 30 years. He thought that in 30 days of struggle and of stress, he should subordinate his own party’s aims and his personal considerations to the welfare of the Empire. He had worked with Mr Llody George in perfect harmony. The latter had strengthened the Unionist clement in the Cabinet. There was, he said, no question of principle that had ever separated them. THE UNION RESURRECTED. Mr Chamberlain, continuing, said:— “I could not pretend to say in what circumstances and conditions co-opera-tion between ourselves and our present allies could best be obtained in. a new Parliament. I can say with conviction that the Union should be our first consideration, but it -would be criminal to allow narrow party prejudices to sacrifice the country’s interests and to betray the great cause which we, as a party, should cherish and maintain, and which, if it were abandoned or betrayed by us, cannot be sustained by any other force within the realm.” A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY! Mr Chamberlain, referring to Foreign Policy, said: —“We have been determined—as far as lay in our power —to prevent the war which devastated Asia Minor from spreading into Europe.” He believed the Government ’s policy to have been successful, but success was not du-e to any help received from the Opposition. ‘‘ln the recent crisis,” he said, “we have been heirs to Mr Asquith’s and Lord Grey’s policy.” ALL ONE—PERHAPS! No question of principle divided his Liberal and his Unionist colleagues at the present time. These were not the days for reviving differences, but for rallying all parties to the defence of the constitution and of their social and economic order. “THE TERRIBLE ‘IF’!” Ho had no doubt that when the new House of Commons came into being, it would be one very different from the present House. If, he asserted, Labour obtained the majority, then heavy would be the responsibility of those who could not take a National view in the time of a National danger. Direct action would triumph over a Government who, as Rt Hon Mr Clynes (Labour M.P.) had said, would not bo allowed to lead, but must take its instructions from the Labour Caucus. Mr Chamberlain, in concluding, emphasised the neutrality of the Government as between the Greeks and the Turks. The Kemalists had been encouraged by some divergence in the Allied Policy, and by their victory over

the Greeks, to try conclusions with the Allies. Britain’s main object had been to prevent Constantinople from shar-

ing the fate of Smyrna. The value of Lord Curzon’s services in the matter could not be overrated. A STRAIGHT LEFT. Mr Asquith and Lord Grey, the Liberal leaders) were always r»nisihlg| their diplomacy of other days, but the end of their skilful diplomacy, however, was the great -war. ONE SIDE OF THE PICTURE. The Allies hoped, and they were en couragod by cx-Prosident Wilson to believe, that America would take an active part in th:* settlement of peace with Turkey. They had been disappointed. Subsequent events, such as the n on-ratification of the Peace Treaty of August 1920, and the recall of King Tino to Greece now profoundly affected the British Government’s pol

icy. M. Bouillon (French Minister) had visited Angora, and other events had encouraged the Kemalist pretensions, and gave the suggestion of a possible want of unify among the Allies, who, including the French, had previously agreed that any attack by either the Turks or the Greeks on the Neutral Zones should bo forcibly repelled. Tho French military had received instructions to withdraw, and Britain was confronted with a serious problem. The Government therefore had decided to maintain the freedom of the Straits, until they handed them over to tho League of Nations. Thus tho I Straits had been preserved from danger, and a peace conference had been secured.