BRITISH POLITICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 21 November 1923, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS

BRITAIN’S UNEQUAL FIGHT

A G AINST TARIFF-PROTECTED COUNTRIES '

MR BALDWIN’S SPEECH

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

LONDON, Nov. 19

Air Baldwin, -speaking at the Queen’s Hall, said that it was not for Mx Lloyd George, who had introduced the worst and most ludicrous fiscal Budget in tho 1909 fiasco, which would have finished anyone with less resiliency than Mr Lloyd George, to find fault with the Duke of Devonshire’s calculations. The latter at any rate possessed the country confidence for his rightness and straightness of character. The supreme issue a.t the election was unemployment. Britain was the world’s shock absorber. AVliy should the vvholo weight and burden of the world’s contracted trade fall on our shoulders instead of being shared by other countries? We cannot wait for a. settlement in Europe, and must look after ourselves. AVe have striven, are striving, arid will strive for a- settlement of the peace. “In the meantime 1 am not content to watch ' our industries crip-pled , under our eyes by countries which have fenced themselves in by prohibitive tariffs and are able to undercut us by dint of foreign exchanges. The time has come when we. cannot continue the unarmed fight. Ido not claim that my proposals are a universal panacea, and that unemployment will completely disappear, that the pint pot will hold n quart, and wo will get ninepence for fourpence; but I believe from the bottom of my heart that mine are the only proposals directed- to one end—that, of lighting the nightmare of unemployment. AVe have the greatest cause for which wo could fight. AVe are fighting for the under-dog.” LONDON, Nov. 20.

Mr Amery, in opening his campaign at Sprakbook, Birmingham, said that he never hoped to play on a better wicket than he had to-day. Whatever howling came the Government wonkl welcome it. The present election was the result of Mr Bonar Law’s pledge, bub Mr Bonar Law always believed that a fundamental change in the fiscal policy was necessary. Believing as they did that they had a remedy for unemployment, the Government asked the people to allow them to apply the remedy. They did not wish to bang on to office and potter about with palliatives. ' LONDON, Nov. 20. Sir R. Horne, speaking at .Glasgow, said Air Asquith and Sir John Simon, who had been retaken to Mr Llovd George's bosom, had been denouncing the granting of any preferences whatever to the dominions. Was Mr Lloyd George going to recant everything which in the war's gravest moments he had solemnly agreed to with Dominion Ministers? Sir R. Horne refused to believe it. Continuing, he pointed out that Alt Bruce had disclosed' attempts by other countries to make reciprocal trading arrangements with Australia. Could Britain afford to risk the chance of losing the preferences received from the Dominions? Britain would never support a party which failed to do justice to the Dominions or flouted our Imperial destiny. A large crowd farewelied Air Ramsay MacDonald, who is going on a provincial tour, and sang the Red Flag and cheered “our future Prime Minister.” Mr MacDonald said the election would decide whether Labour was to be a subordinate or the governing political power. Britain wanted more than the Conservatives and Liberals were offering. Labour alone could give it international peace. Home development and the co-operation of brains with muscle —that was the platform Labour • stood for and was therefore going to, win. Air Buckley declares that lie offered to stand for 'his constituency, as a. Conservative free tradeiy but the local association refused and was selecting a new candidate

LONDON, Nov. 20. A Liberal manifesto, signed by 'Mr Asquith and Mr Lloyd George on behalf of the Party, declares that the Govern* ment elected a year ago on a programme of five .years’ tranquility, suddenly decided to plunge the country into the turmoil of a general election on an unproved and unprovable allegation that tariffs would cure unemployment. The manifesto condemns the precipitancy of the Government’s action, which was col el y due to the signal and disastrous failure of their conduct of foreign policy in great matters essential to our livelihood. The'Government’s blindness, indecision and impotence had been such that it ceased to exercise a guiding influence in European affairs. The same applies to the Eastern policy. The shameless Treaty of' Lausanne surrendered all securities of British commerce in Turkey. A similar fate threatens valuable markets in the Far East. The Libfinds’ policy is a prompt settlement o< reparations, coupled with consideration of inter-Allied debts, an earnest effort to co-operate with America, and, reopening of full relations with Russia. The manifesto' declares that a capital levy would be disastrous and demanded an' improvement Tn the development of Britain and the Empire, for example, transport, afforestation, cheap povei, and the development of Imperial resources, especially in the Crown Colonies •’ railway building in th» Dominions and India; the facilitation of overseas settlement; and the cheapening of the means of inter-Imperial transport. The National Union oi Railwaymen granted £IO,OOO from its political fund to the Labour Party for the general election. „ , ~, Lord Balfour. Lord Derby, Mr Austen Chamberlain, and Sir R. Horne were present at the Constitutional Club on the occasion of Lord Birkenhead’s firs# election speech. Lord Balfour exhorted all Conservatives to support the Government because a bare majority would be insufficient to carry out the Unionist policy. , , , _ , Lord Derby believed he and Lord Birkenhead would accomplish a big task in securing a Conservative majority in Lancashire. • Lord Birkenhead said ho was utterly indifferent as to whether lie held office if the Government was reelected. He dwelt on the prosperity of Protectionist countries—America, France, and Italy. Mr Austen Chamberlain said reunited Liberalism was not their most dangerous opponent, hut Socialism.