The New Zealand Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1918. COALITION AND PEACE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10136, 26 November 1918, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1918. COALITION AND PEACE

War made coalition necessary at the seat of tho Empire, and justified the National Government, which was the practical application of the coalition principle. As it was at tho seat of Empire, so it was here in New Zealand. Now that peace is in sight—has, in fact, actually begun through tho working of tho Armistice—the question has arisen in both places of tho necessity or otherwise- for preserving the coalition. The answer in New Zealand of the Reform party, given in the caucus of tho Parliamentary representatives, was a complete affirmative. The answer given by tho Liberal leader was a limited affirmative; naturally so, because ho felt it right to let tho representatives of tho Liberal party speak their minds as the other side of the political truce Had done. Sir Joseph Ward's answer was that ho saw no reason why harmony should not continue on questions rising out ot tho war, but thought at the same time that the merging of parties is a different matter, which he felt he could not discuss, except with his party. The attitude is correct, more especially as no reasons have been given to the public for the conclusion adopted by tho Reform caucus, so far, at all events, as relates to the questions not arising immediately out of the war. The question in New Zealand romains, 'therofore, open.

In Britain tho answer, so far as can bo judged by tho statements of Mr Lloyd George and Mr Bonar Law, the coalescing party leaders, is a complete affirmative or tho necessity ot maintaining the coalition for tho purposes of settlement and reconstruction after tho war. Both the leaders have given their reasons. Mr Bonar Law as reported was very brief- Tho international side of the question ho covered with the statement of his conviction that "as we stood shoulder to shoulder with our Allies in tho war, so we must stand shoulder .to shoulder with them in repairing the ravages of war." The domestic side he covered—. if he can be said to have covered it at all—with the announcement that ''•wo who have advocated tariff reform as part of the issue realise that the war has changed the whole aspect of these problems." That this means a compromise between Free Trade and the modification of it is proved by Mr Lloyd George's statement in his lottor to Mr .Bonar Law —published for the first time on November 17th—of acceptance "of the policy of Imperial preferonco defined in the Imperial Conference resolutions" —and in his reference in tho same lottor to tho urgent necessity ior improving the agricultural position in Great Britain. For the rest, Mr Lloyd Geor;:ft, who has spoken at far greater length on public occasions since tho signing of tho Armistice, condensed his views in the - same lottor into the statement that "tho national unity which made victory possible should be maintained until the foundations of national and international reconstruction are securely laid." Regarding tho former, it is obvious that the meaning is that the necessary preliminary condition to a secure peace must be tho establishment of a unity of thought among the Entente nations, and any others that may be included with them in a League of Nations; tho coalition to remain until such unity is established. To facilitate this, Mr Lloyd George declared it to bo necessary for the Government "to go to tho Peace Conference with tho authority of tho people's mandate." The domestic side of tho question ho explained by citing the awful revelation of the "unfits" made by tho searching of the war, and referring to tho prime causes of that calamity as under-feeding, illhousing, over-working, and tho grievous temptation of all these to excessive drinking as a help to tho forgetting of tho prevailing hopeless squalor. A national calamity, ho urged, required a national effort and ho called upon parties to sink differences for tho time, and concentrate effort .on the discovery and application of an adequate permanent remedy. Ho, in fact, centred the ivholo subject of national reconstruction on this effort, calling upon all to bo not partisan but patriotic.

The appeal of tho Coalition Government is to the constituencies on that ground of national necessity. That some principles have 'been agreed to may be taken as proved by the more fact that, the Coalition is making appeal as a coalition. That there isvery important support for tho appeal wo can judge from the fact that tho coming election has been hailed as a "khaki election." and that out of the 900 candidates so fa,r announced, at least GOO are Coalition supporters. As to tho probable outcome, it requires more boldness than the whole world possesses to dogmatise about it. Tho naval and military voters aro said to exceed four millions, it is true, but (here aro rnaiiv millions—among them the newlv-enfranchlsed women—to reckon with, and it is not an easy reckon-

ing. All that we can say at the mo. ment is to agree with Mr Lloyd Georgo that tho new Parliament will-be the most important, over elected. The constituencies aro invited to absolutely throw over the old party system at least for a time, the duration of the period of reconstruction, a period obviously destined to be long. That alone would make the election one of the most, memorable in tho history of our constitutional government. _ Mr Asqu.ith. commanding a largo Liberal following, has accepted tho position, but in doinsr so he has reserved his allegiance to his party for a future occasion. Labour is tho new element of tho situation, and tho attitude of Labour gives tho situation a second memorable mark. Practically Labour appeals to ths party system, dividing tho political field firmly between Labour an one party, and all the other sections of political thoucht as tho other. In that ono of the Greatest of the Labour leaders, Mr Barnes, is not with Labour, declaring, lilro Mr Asquith, that for the moment ho thinks ho can serve Labour hotter bv supporting tho Coalition Government—it comes to the samo thing, though he is in tho Government and Mr Ascmith is not —till the country has reached industrial peace. Such are the facts of the situation. The consideration of their bearing is difficult, and must, necessarily be deferred for another occasion.