POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18017, 16 February 1922, Page 7

POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY.

RESTLESS CONSERVATIVES.

ANXIETY FOR ULSTER.

LLOYD GEORGE'S POSITION.

THREAT OF RESIGNATION.

By Toloeraph—Press Association—Copyright.

(Received 6.30 p.m.)

A. and N.Z.

LONDON. Feb. 15.

It is rumoureii in the lobbies that Mr. Lloyd George intends to resign shortly.

The Westminster Gazette states that the rumour emanates from Coalition-Liberal circles, and interprets it as a threat intended to frighten Conservatives through the fear of facing an election without Mr. Lloyd George's leadership.

The Daily News states that the Government is gravely disquieted over increasing unrest among the Conservative members of the Coalition. The boundary differences between Mr. Collins and Sir J. Craig and the raids and shooting in lister have strengthened the Conservative "die-hards," with the result that a first-class political crisis is possible when the Irish Treaty Bill is debated to-day, Besides the amendment to be moved bv Captain C. C. Craig, an amendment has been tabled by tho dissentient Conservatives refusing to proceed with tlie Bill until murders, outrages and kidnappings in Southern Ireland have ceased and attacks against Ulster's people and boundaries have been definitely abandoned and the kidnapped Ulstermen released.

Mr. Bonar Law, speaking at Glasgow, said that though ho felt better than for many years in consequence of freedom from worry and responsibility, he did not wish or intend to join any Government, but he hoped as a private member, to interest himself in current politics. The Government of this and every country were now in deep waters. It was inevitable that in such circumstances they should become unpopular, but he refused to believe that members of the present Government were on a lower plane than the critics who were anxious to supplant them. He would not be a party to trying to effect a change at present, which was a time for supporting, not attacking, the Government.