BRITISH BY-ELECTION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 7

BRITISH BY-ELECTION

ST. GEORGE S DECISION LOYALTY TO MR BALDWIN OFFICIAL CANDIDATE WINS THE PRESS BARONS’ PACT Received Alarch 20, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, Alarch 19. Widespread interest was aroused in the by-election for Saint George’s di vision of Westminster, in which the polling took place to-day. The candidates were: Air Duff Cooper (official Conservative) and Sir Ernest Petter (Independent Conservative), Sir E. Petter, who made Air Bald win’s leadership of the Conservative Party one of the principal issues of the election, has been actively supported throughout the campaign by Lord Beaverbrook, and by the newspapers con trolled by him and Lord Rothermere. St. George’s election resulted:— .Mr A. Duff Cooper (Conservative) 17,242 Sir E. Petter (Empire Crusader) 11,532 The scat became vacant owing to the death of Sir L. Worthington-Evans. Air Duff Cooper says that the election is of national importance in that it is a demonstration to the public what ever its political faith it will not be dictated to by a certain section of the press. Sir Ernest Petter declares that tho election at least stirred the complacent mandarins of tho Conservative Party to tense excitement. At the close there was a great crowd outside Caxton Hall, Westminster, while tho voting was in progress, including many society women in evening dress, who camo from the restaurants and thea ties to hear the declaration. There was a force of mounted police in the vicin ity in case of disorder, but they wore not used. The crowd certainly was the most aristocratic ever associated with a by-election. They cheered loudly when it was announced that Air Duff Cooper had won. The Times, in a leader says: “The Westminster by-election deserves its prominence in current political history. Mr Duff Cooper’s victory is a discern ing tribute to his high political courage and capacity. Also the verdict will be greeted with wide unqualified satisfaction for reasons embracing much more than Air Baldwin’s future or the Conservative fortunes. St. George’s has done a good day’s work for democracy and the. press and tho electorate has tested the contemptuous assumption that it could be swayed by crude asseverations, sonic of which were unbelievably puerile, especially that of the panic at the name of Gandhi. If Gandhi becomes as much an object of timid supcTstitution in England as in India, he owes his prominence to this discreditable newspaper campaign. The victory is a most welcome assurance that the immense imperial interests and obligations now committed to adult sufferage are not necessarily at the mercy of the daily demagogues, even in a constituency exposed at close range to a foaming torrent of misrepresentation.” Silent Newspapers. The section of the press which supported Sir E. Petter is silent editorially regarding the result of the by- election.