ELECTION CAMPAIGN

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11683, 22 November 1923, Page 6

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

CONSERVATIVES HOPE TO WIN LANCASHIRE BIRKENHEAD AND DERBY UNDERTAKE TASK UNITED LIBERALS ISSUE MANIFESTO LABOUR LEADER ON SPEAKING TOUR ‘ With the general election only a fortnight off, the British political parties are putting all their available forces in' the field. The Conservatives, having secured Lord Birkenhead, are setting him and L6rd Derby the task of winning over Lancashire. As an earnest of the Liberal reunion, the portrait of Mr Lloyd George in the National Liberal Club is to be taken from the cellar, where it was relegated, and replaced in the dining-room. Mr Ramsay Macdonald is engaged on a speaking tour in the West.

CONSERVATIVE RALLY LORD BIRKENHEAD INCLUDED. "NOT ANXIOUS FOR OFFICE;” Router’s Telegram. LONDON, November 20. 'Lord Balfour, Lord Derby, Mr Austen Chamberlain, and Sir Robert Horne were present at the Constitutional Club on the occasion of Lord Birkenhead s first election speech\ord Balfour exhorted all Conservatives to support the Government, _ because a bare majority was insufficient to carry out the Unionist policy. _ Lord Derby said that lie believed that he and Lord Birkenhead would accomplish the big task of securing a Conservative majority in Lancashire. Lord Birkenhead said tha't he was utterly indifferent as to whether he held office if the Government were reelected. He dwelt on the prosperity of protectionist countries like America, France, and Italy. . •Mr Austen Chamberlain said that reunited Liberalism was their most danserous opponent, not the Socialist Party. PARTY REUNITED FAR'D WORK FOR BIRKENHEAD. Australian and N.2. Cable A»wfiit'v; (Received November 21, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 21. The outstanding event of the day was the luncheon given to Lord Birkenhead. symbolising the reunion of the Conservative Party. The great part Lord Birkenhead will take in the elections is shown by the announcement that he has already agreed to address 14 mass meetings at places, including Cardiff, .Leeds, Oldham, Liverpool (a women’s meeting), Newcastle, Manchester, and Preston. “WHOLE WORLD IMBECILE.' 1 Lord Birkenhead’s speech was in the Dost form of his F. E. Smith days. He said he .could not understand why the Liberal Party was angry about the election, considering they said it, had reunited them. He emphasised that he would fully support the Baldwin programme. -On the other hand, he ol aimed full freedom for the expression of his opinion on public affairs. He confessed that personally he would have preferred Mr Baldwin to have included the whole of the Joseph Chamberlain agricultural programme. Was Britain to reconcile itself to a million and a half unemployed? It was said that Mr Baldwin’s policy was imbecile. If so, every other country in the world except Britain was imbecile. BALFOUR WITH PARTY. Another interesting development was Lord Balfour’s frank declaration at the luncheon of his personal attitude, concerning which the're has been some speculation. He made it. dear that he is a convinced tariff reformer, as he was 20 years ago. He sattjt: “It is stated that the situation justifies tariff reform because it is worse than when it was last proposed. That it is worse I agree, but some of us say it is worse because we did not accept tariff reform twenty years ago. I think if we could have checked the rise of tariff walls against us our present position would have been much more solid than now.”* , MR BALDWIN’S OBJECTS THREE MAIN POINTS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received November 21, 7.50 p.m.) LONDON, November 2b. Mr Austen Chamberlain,, in an address at Wesrt Birmingham, said Mr Baldwin’s objects were identical with those of Mr Joseph Chamberlain in 1904, indnding (1) To give such security to the home market as would enable British producers to produce with confidence and to the best advantage; (2) to obtain efiectii o power of bargaining for more favourable treatment for our manufactures in protected countries; (3) to develop the productions and reeourees of the Empiro and promote inter-imperial trade. “ACTIVE FREE TRADE” DEFINITION OF PROTECTION.

LORD CECIL’S SUPPORT,

uatraliaa and N.Z. Cable Association (Received November 21, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 20.

Lord Robert Cecil, in a farewell speech to his constituents at Hitchen, 6aid he was not going to resign from the" Government. To turn down hastily any proposal to give greater powers to negotiate with foreign countries regarding tariffs would be pedantry gone mad. A policy of retaliation would really be active instead of passive free trade.

It would be a step towards free imports if preference wore given to the dominions. Britain had in the Empire a gigantic potential market, but personally he would not recommend anything in the nature of a bargain with its dominions. Commercial bargains between members of a family were apt to diminish family feeling rather than increase it, but the Government’s policy of preference had no suggestion ,of this.

RESIGNATION DENIED. Reuter’s Telegram. (Received November 21, 11.35 p.m.) LONDON, November 20. Lord Robert Cecil denied rumours of his resignation, and declared that as long as the Cabinet- supported the League of Nations he would gladly cooperate. He was always a free trader, but that did not mean it was no part of his duty to assist in procuring fair treatment for British exports in foreign markets. The Government should be given liberty to produce economic proposals. < PREFERENTIAL TRADE A CHANCE NOT TO BE LOST. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, LONDON, November 20. Sir Robert Horne, speaking at Glasgow, said that Mr Asquith and Sir John Simon, who had been retaken to Mr Lloyd George’s bosom, had been denouncing granting any preference whatever to the dominions. Was Mr liloyd George going to recant everything which in the war’s gravest moments he had solemnly agreed to the dominion Ministers ? Sir Robert refused to believe it. Continuing, the speaker pointed out that Mr 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. LIBERAL JMANIFESTO CONDEMNATION OF ELECTION. “SOLELY DUE TO FAILURE.” Reuter’s Telecram. LONDON, November 20. The Liberal Party’s manifesto, signed -by Mr M. H. Asquith and Mr Lloyd George, on behalf of the party, declares that the Government, elected a year ago on a programme of five_ years’ tranquillity, has suddenly derided to plunge the country into the (turmoil of a general election on the unproved and unprovaline allegation that tariffs are a cure for unemployment. , Hie manifesto condemns the precipitancy of the’ Government’s action, which, it says, is solely, due to the signal and disastrous failure of their conduct of foreign policy. “BLINDNESS AND IMPOTENCE.” “In great matters essential to our Livelihood, the Government’s blindness and indecision and impotence have been such that Britain has ceased to exercise a guiding influence in European affairs. The same aim-lies tc the Government’s Eastern policy. The shameless Treaty of Lausanne has surrendered all the securities of British commerce in Turkey. A similar fate threatens the valuable markets in the Far East. . STATEMENT OF POLICY. “The Liberal policy is a prompt settlement of reparations, coupled with the consideration of inter-Allied debts; an earnest effort to co-operate with America; and to re-open full relations with Russia.” The manifesto declares that a capital levy would be disastrous, and demands the improvement and development of Britain and the Eimpire, for example, in transport, afforestation, and cheap power; the development of Imperial resources, especially in the Crown colonies; railway building in the dominions and India; and Hie facilitation of overseas settlement by* 1 cheapening the means of inter-Imperial transport. LLBYD GEORGE’S PORTRAIT FROM CELLAR TO DINING-ROOM. Australian an! N.Z. Cable Association. (Received November 21, 7.50 p.m.) LONDON, November 20. The Liberals, with a view to emphasising the end of the schism in their ranks, have arranged for the committee of the National Liberal Club to meet on Wednesday and rescind the resolution which relegated Mr Lloyd George’s portrait from the dining-room to the cellar. There was no speech by Mr Lloyd George to-day, but he will address great Liberal meetings at the Queen’s Hall to-morrorw afternoon. “VOTE AND SEE!?” MR ASQUITH AT PAISLEY. Australian and N.Z Coble A«wcif.f'nu. (Received November 21, 7.50 p.m.) LONDON, November 20. • Mr H. H. Asquith opened his own election - campaign by addressing a large meeting at Paisley. He aroused loud laughter by describing Mr Baldwin’s tariff scheme as “not merely a case of wait and see, but a case of vote and see.” .

Discussin'g the European situation, Air Asquith said that instead of standing as a detached and impotent spectator, Britain on her own initiative should ask for combined action by the great Powers and smaller States to clear away the incubus of sectional interests which were impoverishing the world, so ns to banish the common cause of competitive armaments.

LORD ISLINGTON A DOUBTFUL FREE TRADER.. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received November 21, 7.50 p.m.) LONDON, November 21. Lord Islington, at Taunton, addressing a Liberal meeting, said: “I do not deprecate or ridicule the modest preferential arrangements made at the Imperial Conference. I should be the last to laugh at tinned salmon and currants when we can have a scheme of Empire preference without disability to the people of these islands. I should look upon the proposal with a favourable eye.” Mr Simpson, the Liberal candidate for Taunton, hastened to explain that he was not in entire agreement with Lord Islington’s remarks. LABOUR POLICY THE ONLY ONE ADEQUATE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, November 20. A large crowd fare welled Mr Ramsay Macdonald on his departure for his provincial tour, sang “The Red Flag,” and cheered him as “Our Future Prime Minister.” Mr Macdonald said that the election would decide whether Labour was to be the subordinate or the governing political power. Britain wanted more than the Conservatives and Liberals were offering; Labour alone oould give it international peace, home development, and the 00-operation of brains and muscle. On that platform Labour stood, and from it they were going to .win. * FOR LABOUR CAUSE RAILWAYMEN GIVE £IO,OOO. Reuter's Telecram. . LONDON. November 20. The National Union of Railwayman has granted £IO,OOO from its political fund to the Labour Party for the general election. CAMPAIGN POINTS BROADCASTED SPEECHES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received November 21, 5.5 p.m.) , LONDON, November 20. Mr Baldwin on Tuesday night addressed a meeting at Reading. His speech was wirelessed to other publio halls in the town, and so was heard by 20,000 people. Mr Pilkington, a West Australian, is contesting Keighley as a Liberal. So far it is a straight-out fight between him and Mr (H. B. Lees-Smith, the Labour member. • Mr E: A. HaTvey, K.C. (Lib.),,, is seeking re-election for South Shields. Sir Newton Moore (Con.) , is not standing again for Islington owing to pressure of business and .the probability of his having to visit Canada shortly after the poll. He hopes before long to visit Australia, but intends to seek re-entry to the House of Commons at the. first opportunity after his return to England. Mr Ramsay Macdonald, continuing his motoring tour in the West, addressed meetings at Slough, Reading, Gloucester, and Cirencester. At the latter place he, was interrupted by students of an agricultural college, whom he described as “hobbledehoys.” CANDIDATE REFUSED BY FORMER CONSTITUENCY. Australian and N.Z. Cab!* AaMUlte LONDON, November 20. Colonel ‘ Buckley declares that he offered to stand for his constituency as a Conservative free trader, but the local association refused, and is now selecting a. new candidate. * FRENCH JOMMENT [ EFFECT QF PROTECTION.

A CONTINENTAL UNION. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received November 21, 7.60 p.m l .) LONDON, November 20. Mr Baldwin’s electoral programme "speeches are being closely studied in Prance. The “Temps” admit® the obvious sincerity of the Prime Minister, but complains that Mr Baldwin has abandoned indefinitely the hope of stabilising the European exchangee. “He advises his countrymen to build a wall and bide themselves behind it, leaving the European continent to welter in chaos. The consequence will be that the Continental nations will be forced to unite more closely.”