Whether 1931 will see a General Election in Great Britain cannot be more than a matter of speculation. There is little doubt that conditions exist to, make such an event speedily, The Labour Government, istration, s be said to be works ing under the sword of Dainoce les. Yet it can also comfort itself with the thought that neither its major nor its minor' opponent would revel in an appeal to the country just now. Sir Oswald Mosley and the Left wing recently stirred the political waters with the issue of a Manifesto professing the couintry's lack of faith in all pasties and declaring the need for a kind of dictatorship—ot five. Young Conservatives have similarly committed to paper their blushing conviction that they possess a suitable prescription for the maladies afflicting Great Britain, Mr, Lloyd George, with the: agility which he pre serves in spite of the passage of time, condemns the Government to death on the one hand and promises to keep it alive on the other provided he can get, his own way. Mr, Baldwin's lieutenants who feel that their period of usefulness as Cabinet Ministers may be found to have come to an end when the next Conservative Government is"being formed are plainly out of hand. At the same time the prospect of their being still candidates for office is not improving the tempers of the rank and file who have already been demoralized by the fiscal pole-mies so vigorously waged Fleet Street. Meanwhile the ery for retrenchment in nation al expenditure to cope with the grisly tale told by the revenue returns is being raised but seems to go unheeded. Actual ly a motion on the subject talked out on a private day the House of Commons. Theoretically there was nothing parti cularly reprehensible in this exereise by members of the pri vilege of absenting themselves when Government business was not on the agenda, The laps however, was regarded with Justice in some quarters as giving the nation an uncomfortable confirmation of the suggestion that to economy the politician Days nothing more than Up ser vice.
With the Indian Conference out of the way, it is possible that the ranks will close forea more deadly struggle when Par-Jiament resumes work, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald cannot be ae~ cused of timidity or reluctance to: give his opponents cause for attacking him, The decision'to press through the Amendment of the Trades Disputes: Bill has certainly assured for the time being the solid obedience of the whole of the Labour Party not even the leftwingers being prepared to carry their disgust with the Cabinet to the point of failing to support-this measure. "It is possible that the Liberals will be able to swallow it -if they are sufficiently convinced that Mr, Lloyd George's bargain over the Alternative vote is sound. Sir John Simon' may be counted among the recalcitrant and it is not certain whether his influence may not attract to the other side more of the little handful of liberals who are not happy about Mr. Lloyd George. He would-be a: bold man who could describe the opposition
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.