June 19, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald marks his sense of the extreme gray of the unemployment problem in Great Britain by summoning on that subject a conference of the heads of the Borough administrations and informally asso: iting the two leaders of the Opposition with the discussion, In taking this action the Labour Prime Minister must be credited wit
Just a year ago he and his considerable moral courage: colleague were carried into office by a flamboyant electionering campaign on that very issue. Within a few weeks the unfortunate Lord Privy Seal, specially charged with the care of the unemployment portfolio—new improvisation in British Politics appropriately advertised on that then new instrument of publicity, the "Talkie"—was made to realize that election chickens were likely to roost on his doorstep. Mr. J. H. Thomas is, however, nothing if not forceful and whatever criticism there may" be of the failure of the Government to arrest-the siwvelling volume of unemployment: figures, his courage and persistency have been recognized even by his opponents, Although his defaulting lieutenant, Sir by Oswald Mosley, was able last month to frame a powerful! indictment of the Government's policy, the impression created by the domestic quarrel was not ur-favourable to Mr. Thomas, Sir Oswald's effort to pose as a heroic figure who, for the sake of principle, had abandoned the emoluments of office broke down completely. Cynics openly suggested that the high-souled baronet was in reality deserting colleagues in face of a disaster for which he, as much as they, was responsible and that in point of fact the real hero was Mr. Thomas who refused to flinch from the burden imposed by the Party's election bravado and continued to struggle with the adversity thrust upon him. Since then the Prime Minister has come to Mr. Thomas's assistance with practical help facilitated by the Cabinet construction arising out of Sir Oswald's disappearance. There is no doubt, however, that the shock of the controversy has shaken the Government. It has been intensified partly by the ineptitude of the Front Bench in the recent debate in the House of Commons—when Mr. Ramsay MacDonald palpably broke down before a simple request by Mr. Lloyd George for elucidation of figures and Mr. Snowden had to retract and apologize for criticisms made by him of the business efficiency of three important British el companies: in the course of a speech on the Finance Bill. Another—and perhaps far more potent—stimulus to Government action has been provided by the evidence of greatly increased alarm in the country generally over the stubbornness of the trade depression. It has created the feeling that a national crisis has arisen and that national effort must be consolidated, An attempt to secure a solution on non-party lines is admittedly heroic. Circumstances are nevertheless. distinctly.. in favour. To begin with there is a general agreement that there is nothing inherently wrong British commercial genius and that further efforts to dismiss the unemployment issue either by asserting—albeit with perfect accuracy—that other countries are in as bad a plight if not worse, or by assailing the intelligence ~and honesty of employers or employed, are definitely damaging to the nation's credit. Then, political human nature being what it is, the seriousness of the unemploy-'iment problem has encouraged the advocacy. of palliatives by various sections of thought to the intense discomfort of party leaders, Thus in the Trade Unions, on which the Labour Party draws for much of ite electoral support, there is a strong movement towards some form to Protection. The Conservative Party is afflicted by the buccaneering of Lord Rothermere and Lord Beaverbrook. Th> Liberals are faced with the Is possibility of having once more to expose their differences on the merits of Mr. Lloyd George's yellow book. Neither of the two parties in opposition is anxious to see Mr. MacDonald appealing to the country. The question of India is rapidly coming to a head and until the London Conference has been held and plans for disposing of the Simon Report have been laid it is plainly desirable that the Labour Government should remain in office, Otherwise the maintenance of the convention whereby India removed from the sphere of party polities will be jeopardized, thanks to the exuberance of the Left Wing of Labour on matters A conference on unemployment arranged on non-political lines in spite of Mr. Lloyd George's offer would appear to impracticable. Mr. MacDonald in insisting on. Party's respon-for Government action. At the same time there are precedents for removing the issue out of the dangerous sphere of party politics, It might indeed be welcomed by all parties. Mr. MacDonald could then be spared anxiety over the dangers of permitting Mr. Snowden to raise the banner of doctrinaire free trade which, though facilitating an alliance with some sections of the Liberal Party, might easily antagonize the Trade Unions. Mr. Baldwin could shake off the incubus of Lord Beaverbrook and Mr. Lloyd George could continue to carry on his agile and simultaneous flirtations with his old comrades of the anti-tariff reform movement and his more recent associates in Empire development. The positive value of the conference would lie in the opportunity which it could give for ascertaining the plain facts of trade depression, from men and women who, in' their daily lives and in their respective localities, know exactly where the shoe pinches. During the last twelve months the British public has undergone a process of considerable enlightenment.
learnt by _personai experience how the airy application of platform theories to the practical art of Empire government can give-birth to situations readily measured in loss of trade and unemployment. In the enlightenment Ministers and ex-Ministers have shared. If the Conference came to close grips with its subject, there might be expression of the view that the main duty of the nation's leaders. is to attend strictly to the affairs of the nation and the Empire built up by the nation and to limit severely the dissipation of their energies in spheres in. which Great Britain's interes are neglected where they are not definitely assailed. The result of the Nottingham election—wan on the safeguarding issue without the intervention of the super-men of Fleet Street—showed that British electors were anxious for their representatives to bear that principle in mind. The imminence. of the Imperial Conference should strengthen, the Party leaders in the resolve to ensure national: unity. on a matter of immense imperial! urgency. The British Commonwealth of Nations has resources and determination fully adequate within its own domain to meet the exigencies of this economic problem. If the leaders would continue to lead, their way is clear and, in taking it, they. will not only expedite the return nf national prosperity but they wil! also facilitate the elimination of those "world causes" which hamper the flow of trade in other countries as well,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.