EARLY ELECTION PREDICTED.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 October 1922, Page 8

EARLY ELECTION PREDICTED.

MR LLOYD -GEORGE AND THE' COALiTlUi>i.

1 deceived Oct. 12, 9.35 a.m. jjQJNDON, Oct. 11. The Daily Clironieie says that at is as certain, us tilings can ue that there will be an election this side of Christmas, 'in© only doubt is whether the election can toKe place before the meeting oi Parliament in JNovember. Tne Prime Minister is in fighting mood, and Mr. Chamberlain has arranged a Birmingham meeting in support or Mr. Lloyd George. It is hoped that he will deal iajxnfully with the Conservatives, who are trying to break up the Coalition. Mr. Chaberlain is giving loyal support to MrT Lloyd (ieorgt>. Keports from the constituencies show that not a lew Conservative associations are threatening to revolt as a prelude to the annual Unionist coiit ference in November. -■ *. Mr. Lloyd George's friends in tne Coalition favour an early general election. Some think tKat Mr. Lloyd George should retire ;and allow JVxr. Chamberlain to form a Cabinet, but n is understood that Mr. Lloyd. George would advise- the King to dissolve Parliament in such circumstances. 1 Sir. Robert Horns Eas postponed his visit to the United) States to discuss the funding of the war debt and Colonel Amery has postponed his visit to Canada. The Westminister Gazette declares that Mr. Lloyd George is more anxious ; about the revolt in the; Coalition ranks than >r about the attacks of the Opposition. ■■~'.-. All< r movements ; behind the scenes indicate' a, revival of thfe struggle which "elicited Mr. Lloyd George's threatened resignation in the year. The Premier is still determined to remain master in his own house, and will not tolerate the hostile criticism to which he is being subjected by Tory ; critics, and will demand assurances that he will not be stabbed in the back by the' Tories. At, tne forthcoming -annual meetings there must be no talk of a vote of censure or any attack in the Commons on his Near Eastern .policy. Mr. Lloyd George is very angry and will display his anger in \some dramatic way. He may make a sudden appeal to the country dragging the Coalition with him willy-nilly before the Tories have time to 'escape from the ruins. Alternatively he might retire in disgust for time^ in which to meditate upon some plan of action which is sure to be distasteful to .some, of his present colleagues. ' *