BRITISH POLITICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23002, 1 April 1938, Page 6

BRITISH POLITICS

TALE OF AN ELECTION MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S WORK ADMIRATION AROUSED fjf [from our OWN correspondent] . LONDON, March A feeling has arisen in England that a general election in the autumn j> not without its oossibilities. By October the present Parliament will have for three years of its possible life of five years, and Mr. Chamberlain may accept the advice of his electoral ej. perts to "cash in" on his success. \ British Parliament seldom lasts f ot more than four' years.

There is; another section of opinion which says the Prime Minister would not be content with an Anglo-Italian understanding alone. He would then attempt a similar settlement with Ger. many. Thait might or might not be pos. sible within the present year.

However, if a double triumph cam* Mr. Chamberlain's way, the Govern, ment would not only go to the cowj. try at once but he might retire from politics, having achieved an ambition of a four-Power pact in Europe and become the greatest peace-maker of, his time. By that time he would be 70 years old and well content to hand over to a younger man.

Mr. Chamberlain's severest opponents have been forced to reluctant admiration by the resolute way in which ha has set ahout his Herculean tasks during th'ii Cabinet crisis. After six con« tinuous and gruelling years in office, he now finds himself half a Foreign Secretary as well as Prime Minister at a time when either job is said to be crushing, and when, indeed, tha Prime Ministership has all but crushed twj meri in recent years. Moreover, Mr. Chamberlain is a slight man. physio, ally, compared with either Mr. Ramsay MncDonald or Earl Baldwin, and in age he is only a year or two younger than either of them when they wen at No. 10 Downing Street.