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Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, JANUARY 22. 1935 THE WELSH WIZARD

MR LLOYD GEORGE’S spectacular return to the limelight of British politics will be discussed throughout the Empire: Some twelve or thirteen years ago, when the wartime Coalition Government broke up, Air Lloyd George found himself without a party because of the defection of leading Liberals, such as Lord Grey, Sir John Simon, and Lord Reading, who disagreed with his leadership of the party, especially in the matter of its finances. The consequence was that the British statesman who had played so conspicuous a part at the Versailles Conference, and had helped to re-draw the map of Europe after the Great War, found himself forced into what amounted to political retirement. It was an active retirement. He bought land and became a successful farmer. He wrote an account of the stirring times when he had played so conspicuous a part on Britain’s political stage. It looked as if his work was ended. But a few days ago, on his 72nd birthday, he delivered a speech in which he displayed not only all the vigour and eloquence which he had exhibited when he was jn his prime, but outlined a comprehensive policy for restoring the world’s economic prosperity and preserving its peace. Air Lloyd George’s view is that in the field of world-politics Britain should take the lead “and stand by it.” He recognises that Britain’s interests are world-wide and lie outside of Europe rather than in it. He evidently pictures a movement toward a policy which, if it does not bring about a union of the Eng-lish-speaking peoples, will at least establish among them so good an understanding that their weight will prepon-dei-ate in the councils of the world. For instance, Air Lloyd George is of the opinion that the co-operation of the United States and Great Britain in the Pacific will definitely settle the affairs of that ocean, and in relation to America he says, “I would immediately take steps to reach a common agreement with that great country, and then act together in a combined endeavour to secure the pacification of tlie world.” He also makes several suggestions for the solution of financial problems confronting Britain, and prominent among those suggestions is “a great prosperity loan” for revivifying trade and industry. Seldom lias a pronouncement of a British political leader been more favourably received by his political confreres of all parties. Viscount Snowden, Air Winston Churchill, and Sir Henry Page Croft, for instance, unite in congratulating Mr Lloyd George upon the political programme which he has outlined for the country, while the few Liberals, who remain a small political force under the leadership of Sir Herbert Samuel, have offered their allegiance to the veteran who lias put new life into British politics and lias predicted the dawn of brighter times in every department of British life. But it is principally in their application to the situation in the Pacific and the Far East, that Mr Lloyd George’s opinions will interest New Zealanders. "The Welsh wizard” displays . imperialistic instincts which were little expected, when lie shows solicitude for the maintenance of the Empire, and it comes as a welcome surprise when lie advocates the co-operation of the two great branches of the English-speaking race, not merely for their own protection, hut for tlie purpose of preserving universal peace. One wonders how this suggestion will please tlie war-lords of Japan, who during the last twelve months and more have acted as if they were a law unto themselves, and as if China lias no rights in territory which ’ undoubtedly hers. It is part of tlie policy of Great Britain and the United States to apportion tlie Pacific Ocean into three principal spheres of influence, of which that allotted to Japan includes all tlie narrow seas which separate her from tlie mainland of Asia. It is evident that if Air Lloyd George’s view is correct, and the British and American Governments combine in stabilising the situ-

ation in the Pacific, there is no great likelihood that Japan will seek to disturb British and American interests anywhere in the Pacific. The guarantee of peace in that area is the naval supremacy of the United States and Great Britain, and their co-operation will maintain the status quo in the world’s largest ocean. But Air Lloyd George would seem to go further: he would seem to maintain that if Britain and the United States were to act conjointly they could impose peace on the world. Tlie British statesman is not the first person to voice that opinion. There is no doubt that while the British and American peoples see eye-to-eye, and are ready to act together in the cause of peace, not only will they he the preponderating factor in world-politics, but they will be the greatest power in maintaining peace. There are indications in the speech of the British Chancellor of the Exchequer that the British Government is willing to take a leaf out of Air Lloyd George’s book. If that is the case, it may be expected that something like a new era in British politics will have opened, and that the world will see not only the closer co-operation between Great Britain and the United States in the field of world-politics, but also in the field of economics, not only to the advantage of the English-speaking races collectively, but of the world in general.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM19350122.2.28

Bibliographic details

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 22 January 1935, Page 4

Word Count
902

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, JANUARY 22. 1935 THE WELSH WIZARD Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 22 January 1935, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, JANUARY 22. 1935 THE WELSH WIZARD Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 22 January 1935, Page 4

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