The Star. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1924. THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN BRITAIN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 23 January 1924, Page 4

The Star.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1924. THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN BRITAIN.

"•Utered t*r* «v«ct«g nj • o'tioei t* fi»*m V&Mta, Ronn*abjr, Ok*i*w«, tttbwß, MsngMtokl, layout*, Awstuu, Opaatki. OtM«bo, MftcaUM, Altos, Bari*rrU)«, Olwngti, Kmn«N, fram load, ux) Ararat*.

The political situation in Britain v causing great interest and no littU anxiety not only throughout the Eni pire, but in foreign lande, and fch< future is looked to with mixed feelings Some people see in the advent of i Labour Government xery grave dangers, while other people who are no! in sympathy with Labour think thai with that party in power it will soon drop the dangerous doctrines of its policy. The splitting up. of Parliament into more than two main parties ~ha* raised a problem in modern times which is likely to destroy stability and tc place any Government (unless it be fortunate Enough to have an absolute majority over all other partiek) at the mercy of combinations of the parties in opposition. Mr. Baldwin's Government has been defeated by Liberal and Labour voting together on .Laboura no-confidence motion. Labour, being the next strongest party, will now form a Government, its principles being Socialistic, but it can in turn be defeated by ft combination of its opponents. The defeat of the Baldwin Government by Liberal and Labour voting together brings about a paradoxical situation, that it opens the way for a Socialist Government though there is an overwhelming majority of members of the v House of Commons .opposed to Socialism. -No doubt this fact caused Mr Cooper Rawson to move his amendment to Labour's no-confidence amend1 Rawson's amendment was: That before any Ministry founded mum .the principles of Socialism be tormed, ageneral election on the issue of Socialism should beheld first » But elections have disturbing effects and trad© and commerce suffer, and we do not think that an election will be held jniti! Mr. MfldTMnaid h as f ormed a and been defeat in the ,X™?». Labour may be1 able." to *> I ™Ocl'fv its P»"<* as-to keen-"the party m office for ~ while, and, judeine by the speeches of the Labour leaders, the party, as its responsibilities draw nearer is^moderating its views very considerably. Much as one may be opposed to the party and its principles, one feels that the people of Britain will not toierate anything in the nature of extreme legislation, and we do not think that Labour would dare to act unconstitutionally and usurp, power denied by the electors. It is probable that many people in the Old Country are inclined to give; Mr. Mac Donald a turn in office to see what he can do, even though they v may regard Labour's policy as j dangerous. We are interested in the' position to see how Labour will handle) the most important question of foreign policy and the great problem of unemployment, which it boasts c?n be solved speedily. But we are inclined to think that Labour will find that what looks comparatively easy from the outside is most difficult and complex when itj .comes to the doing of it. "No secret] diplomacy" has been Labour's cry, but we believe that all Governments must j find that it is impossible and very dansrerous to abandon secrecy in foreign' affairs; it is, in short, not good busi- ■ ness to let everyone know" one's plans swl th<* nature of the preparations loI*. them. Fortunately Britain's name stands very high among foreign'

Powers, and even if Labour does a little experimenting, whatever harm < may bo done is likely to be only tern- >1 porary. It is impossible to forecast tho length of Labour's term in office, but its ultimate'^defeat by the Liberal and Conservative opposition is certain, , and the country will probably be fac- ' ing another election before long, though whether or not an election would improve the position one cannot say. , Labour will nave its chance, and every- j body should bo interested to see bow the party, led by men who have been; koen followers of politics for years past, will handle tho great questions facing i them. W© can only hope- that they j will let sound eommonsens© be their guide and that they will not let th© ■ theories of extreme Socialists and Communists load them into actSnp. to th© injury of the nation. Tf Labour attempts to interfere with the management of industry and with capital employed in industry, or if it seeks to

coerce other nations against their will, trouble, probably very serioue trouble, ..may bo expected, but we doubt if Labour will bo bo foolish, and when Mr. Mac Donald has chosen his Ministers and put forward his policy w© expect to find in it few if any of the absurd and dangerous proposals which a few years ago Labour was proclaiming as tho panacea of th© ills of society. We not know that the present danger lies in anything that Labour niigh£ do so much as in the effect which its advent to power may have abroad. Mr. MaeDonald has a task which will tax his ability fully, for if he hopes to hold office he mu«t rigidly j avoid any proposals of an extreme j typo, knowing as he must that the

Liberal Party, which has voted with

him to put the Government out, will

probably vote as readily to put him out if. it is dissatisfied with Jiis policy. The next few weeks will be among the most important—some people will regard them as most dangerous—in the history of the House of Commons, hot there is some satisfaction in the fact that there is ample power in the ranks of the Liberals and Conservatives to defeaf

any Socialistic legislation that may be brought before the House. Peopio throughout the Empire will be keenly interested in the political situation at Homo for ' weeks >to come, while in France, Italy and America especially the courf% of events will be studied most carefully.