Nov. 3.
THE position as regards the approaching general election is so extraordinary that, unless Labour manages to get a good working majority through the breach between the conflicting parties, one might hazard a guess that the next Parliament cannot survive for many months. However, that sort of prophecy has often been made and as often proved false, and there is still time for less hotheaded counsels to prevail than those which bid fair to present the country, not with three parties to choose from, but with five. Such is, perhaps, the inevitable result of the downfall of a coalitions when old parties are striving to regroup themselves and the would-be new ones have mo clear idea of what to offer.
And this is the most curious and baffling factor in the whole situation, that, judging by the only political programme yet published, namely, that of Mr. Bonar Law announced at Glasgow on October 26, there is no essential difference visible between Mr.
Lloyd George and himself. It is easy to describe the new Ministry as '"'the most reactionary of modern times,' because it contains eleven members of thei House of Lords and a_ strong "Die-hard" element. But the House of Lords is not necessarily reactionary because, being above party, it can afford to be cireumspect. And all we really know about the ''Die-hards'" is that they hate Mr. Lloyd George.
It was unlucky for this part of the world that the most important part of Mr. Bonar Law's Glasgow speech—that in which he said that '"*he did not object to the Unionists and National Liberals ce-operating in individual areas if there were an agreement giving them fair representation"—did not reach us until the day after his programme had come in. For that concluding message explains much. It gives us the key to the dullness of his; programme, in the sense of being practically identical with that of his predecessor, namely, that Mr. Bonar Law realized that what-stalled. It is not a case of a few' ever the Carlton Club may pre-; tory for the Labour men, we can tend, there can be no essential difference between the Coalition's aims and the Unionists'. Everyone wants to make Germany pay up, to keep open the Dardanelles and reduce taxation; and everyone knows that the Irish and Indian legislation of the last Government cannot be reversed. The only difference of opinion is as to method, and it may of may not be worth going to the country about that. The ''Die-hards"' think that it is. But their judgement is-warped by personal antagonism to Mr. Lloyd George and they suffer the handicap which attaches in the electors' eyes to all extremists. Above all, such men as, the Earl of Balfour, Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Birkenhead, Tord Lee and Sir Robert Home, whose prestige in the country is great, continue to side with Mr. Lloyd George. The difficulties of the situation would be less if the old Independent Liberals could close up their ranks and absorb the National Liberals. But their leader, Mr. Asquith, is no more popular with the nation than is the Little Englandism of the Manchester School likely to prove acceptable to Mr. Lloyd George and the desperate attempts they are making to climb back into popular favour on the ex-Premier's shoulders are rather piteous. Nevertheless there are certainly enough of them to spoil the National Liberals' chances of a majority; and thus when Mr. Bonar Law held out the olive branch at Glasgow, Mr. Lloyd George, in the same place two days later. nibbled at it most encouragingly.
His present and, he hoped, his future friend, Mr. Bonar Law (he said), had failed to show that there had been any difference in the late Government on questions of principle or policy. The Die-hards were now the only people demanding a change.... He trusted that nothing would be done in the election thai. would make it difficult or even impossible for men of a like mind, who believed in keeping the country steady, from pulling: together and preventing the boat capsizing. One imagines the Carlton Club reading this speech and ejaculating, ''No, you don't. You're not going to bamboozle our man like that and slip back again after alt the trouble we've had to get rid of you."' And the mot d'ordre goes forth to put up Die-hard candidates against National Liberals everywhere.
As to whether this means vic-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.