MYSTERIOUS SPEECH

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1930, Page 9

MYSTERIOUS SPEECH

1 " ''GET ON OR GEt OUT)” ,

MR. MACDONALD’S QUOTATION.

A speech made.by the British Prime Minister, Mr.. MacDonald,, at the Labour Party Conference, at Llandudno early. in October, gave rise to further comment, and a certain amount of mystery surrounds the subject. Mr. Mae Donald was discussing unemployment when he said: “What, is .that phrase that is current? .‘Get on, or. get out.’ Well, we are getting on, and if my experience of the last weeks mean anything it. will be someone, else that will get out. Ybtt don’t get up, one morning, either at Churt or. at Downing Street,, and half between sleeping and waking wave a wand,- and somebody on a flying .carpet comes down with a scheme to build a road between Liverpool and Manchester. “.When I negotiate With a person or am in process of exchanging views with that, person I don’t, run to’ the newspapers at the end Of every meeting and inform them, knowing that the other person is observing gentlemanly conduct, that I have given him an awful thrashing, and. given him a tremendous challenge to his very existence. When Ah the examinations are oVer, and We have done as much as wo can, then, ahd then. Only, will We discuss the getting on ahd the getting out.” These words were, universally interpreted in political circles as a bitter attack on Mr. Lloyd George. Mr. MacDonald now says: “My remarks were no attack upon Mr. Lloy.d George at all. They were merely an answer to statements that have be6n made in a London newspaper.” - ■ J * The actual phrase, “Get: on,. or get out,” quoted by Mr. MacDonald, was apparently taken from, the' headings of an article which. appeared in a newspaper. In it the political correspondent of that paper indicated that the Liberal proposals regarding unemployment had Been laid before Mr. MacDonald and added that Unless a satisfactory answer was received before the Torbay (Liberal) conference, “I understand that the Liberal leader intends to declare war on the Government.” “I have never used the expression, ‘Get -on, or get out,’ ” said Mr. Lloyd George in an interview. “It Was somebody else—who, I forget. I have never made any statement to the newspapers about the negotiations, directly or indirectly, and, as, far as I have been able to discover, no one connected with me has done so. . “If Mr. MacDonald means tins fof me, I simply cannot understand it. OUr relations: have been of the friendliest nature throughout, and, what m more, I have letters to prove it. Right,up to last week We were communicating on the friendliest terms, arid, 00 far as I know, there is no reason why ..this should hot have continued. I have never said that I gave him an awful thrashing or issued any tremendous challenge to his existence, or anything of the kind during the period of these negotiations.. \- “I am simply amazed that these words of Mr. MacDonald have been interpreted as. applicable to .me, Wnat he means I cannot for the life of me qmjerstand. I cannot think that ha is making an attack upon me, and I am ■ equally at a Joss who. hfr is attacking. Until I kno.w definitely. What Mr. MacDonald means, I am. not going to say anything more.” .