National Unionist Conference: Struggle of the " Die-hards Reduction in the High Cost of Living From Our Own Correspondent.
London, Nov. 17, 1921.
Matters in these days have come to a head. Foiled in the House, the opponents of the Government policy in respect to Ireland have this week concentrated on the customary National Unionist Conference at Liverpool, To-day they are putting forward what is practically a vote of no confidence in the hope that the constituency delegates who form the bulk of those attending wil prove more amenable to their arguments. The Die-Hards are a courageous little band and they represent the fine flower of Old Conservatism.
All these decided to appear at Liverpool and so the Government got to work, As the Cabinet 1s solid on the side of Mr. Lloyd George it ensured ithe loyalty and support of the Unionist Party machinery which warned all friendly Members to roll in their hundreds—indeed told them to do so. Consequently there have bees a terrific exodus to Liverpool this week and feeling runs high though the fact that the gathering was in Liverpool, the home of Orangeism made no difference since Lord Derby and Alderman Salvidge, the power behind the throne, were pro-Government, The Premier had intimated that 2 large hostile vote might induce his resignation but this did not deter the Die-Hards whom I have mentioned above, in their hopeless effort.
These do not represent quite all the Die-Hards, as there are others who are sympathetic but not quite so assertive, and probably in the country itself they have a fair number of supporters, because the Government policy, while inevitable and, therefore, supported by nearly all of us, is not such as induces to feel the least enthusiasm. The yote at Liverpool was practically a challenge, both of the Conference and of the terms offered at the Conference, which are in effect, Pominion Home Rule for both parts of Ireland and with a Supreme Authority over all.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.