MYSTERIOUS SPEECH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 446, 11 December 1930, Page 12

MYSTERIOUS SPEECH

“GET ON OR GET OUT” MR MacDONALD’S QUOTATIONS LIBERAL AND LABOUR PARTIES LONDON, Oct. 17. A speech made by the Prime Minister Mr MacDonald, at the Labour Party Conference at Llandudno a week ago has given rise to further comment and a certain amount of mystery surrounds the subject. Mr MacDonald 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. You 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 Manchetser. “When I negotiate with a person or am in process of exchanging views with that person I don’s 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 all the examinations arc over and we. have done as much, as we can, then and then only, will we discuss the getting on and the getting out.” Mr MacDonald’s Denial These words were universally interpreted in political circles as a bitter attack on Mr Lloyd George. Mr MacDonald now says: “My remarks were not attack on Mr Llody George at allThey were merely an answer to statements that have been made in a London newspaper.” 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. “I Am Simply Amazed” “It Mr MacDonald means this for me, I simply cannot understand it. Our relations have been of the friendliest nature throughout and what is more I have letters to provo it. Right up to last week wo were communicating on the friendliest terms, and, so far as J know, there is no reason why this should not 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. What he means I cannot for the life of me understand. I cannot think that ho is making an attack upon me, and 1 am equally at- a loss who he is attacking. Until I know definitely what Mr MacDonald means I am not going to say anything more.' ’