BRITISH POLITICS

Southland Times, Issue 19659, 9 October 1922, Page 4

BRITISH POLITICS

The London Observer is not enough io bring about the downfall of a British Prime Minister, but when Mr J. L. Garvin opens up a frontal attack on Mr Lloyd George the public is entitled to take the .movement as an indication of the growth in popular displeasure. Mr Lloyd George’s position is certainly more precarious than it has been at any time since the Armistice. In domestic politics he has been able to continue in power by reason of a series of compromises which have been won or given at the expense of the Liberal and Die Hard support in the Coalition and the Liberal Coalitionists have now realised that their strength is waning too rapidly to hold out any hope of regaining the ascendancy in the Coalition. The fabric glove question cost Mr Lloyd George a substantial measure of support. It put a heavy strain on their trust, one that proved too much for some of those who sat in the House of Commons as supporters of Mr Lloyd George, and the effects of this incidents must go deeper than the surface. It is the sickness of Europe that has saved him in the meantime, but unless he can go on reporting successes in international politics, he must ultimately find the ranks behind him thinning. Mr Lloyd George cannot afford io take the risk that there is no one else available for the premiership should he be removed —this is one of the arguments Mr Massey’s supporters can use with effect—because there are available men like Mr Austen Chamberlain, Lord Birkenhead and even Lord Derby to lead a new Government composed of the more progressive of the Coalition Liberals. To such a party Lord Salisbury and his Die Hard forces

would have to give support in face of a debacle. Lord Birkenhead must not be dismissed from the field. In tire last two years he has greatly enhanced his reputation and he is no longer thought of as Carson’s Galloper. It is likely that in the event of Mr Lloyd George falling from power Lord Birkenhead would be the real leader of the Government to replace him. Mr Garvin, in the Observer, has supported Mr Lloyd George energetically at times, but it is abundantly clear that recent events in Europe have brought about the change of opinion. His attack is a symptom and therefore a danger signal for those who are behind the man who has been doing his best to improve means to persuade France to correct seme, if not all, of the mistakes that were made by the Allies under French influence.