BRITISH POLITICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15740, 3 February 1922, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

LORD BIRKENHEAD HITS O'TPI

DEFENDS THE COALITION'

(Elec. Tel. Copyright.—united Press Assn. (Australian and NZ. Cable Association./ (Received Feb. 3, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 1.

Lord Birkenhead, addressing the Conservatives and Coalition-Liberals in London said: We must wait, a little longer before definitely sounding a note of jubilation regarding Ireland. Members of the Government, who signed the treaty, still believed that it would he a permanent cure. Messrs Collins and Griffiths justified tho confidence placed in them. Sir Janies Craig shows himself a man in the first rank of statenianship.

referring to Sir Erie Geddis’ report, he said that it was ludicrous to suppose that, there had been the .slightest hesitation on the part of the Government to prevent, it. The Government bait grounds for deviating from the com mittee’.s recommendations. It would publish a report to Parliament and the country, with reasons for that deviation. Lork Birkenhead defended thci Coalition, which they were told was menaced daily as decrepit, moribund, decaying and <lis-‘ honest. As far as those occupying important positions in the Coalition were concerned, they had not the slightest intention of expiring. They even proposed independently and impudently fo prolong, their existence if the nation willed it.

He charged the Labor leaders with playing a part of abject poltroonery. They did not denounce traitors, and Hie present position of the country was largely due to extremists’ action.

Referring fo the association between Lord Grey and Lord Cecil, he said that one was entitled to pass judgment on Lord Grey’s acts during his Foreign Secretaryship. Lord Grey was responsible for the diplomacy which was un.able to meet tlie European .situation before (lie outbreak of war when we had an army which was unable to meet attacks. Tt was not Hie fault of men like Grey that England was not to-day carrying out the decrees of Germany. Lory Grev was responsible" for the passing of Home Rule and possibly compelling Ulster to enter the All-Ireland Parliament, which would have led to civil war in Ireland if there had been no European war. He criticised Lord Grev’fi actions in regard to the offer of Greece to come into (lie war. If that offer had been accepted the war would have been .shortened.

There were respects in which a Parliament Act should not stand and could not he permitted to stand by any combination of parties of which they eontinned to be adherents. There should he great reform in the personnel of the House of Lords. The speaker did not favor the abolition of the hereditary principle, or leaving the Crown the only hereditary institution. Tliepo must he a great reduction in the rumbers of Lords. He believed justification for a certain Coalition in 1916 still existed to-day, but could not- accept the view that the Conservatives alone, ought to form the Ministry, unless a marked divergence of opinion existed between the Conservatives and Coalition-Liberals, who bad helped them to carry on hitherto. He opposed such a scheme on the grounds, both of gratitude and expediency.