Parnell (Liberal) polled only 3,217. The total number of voters who registered their suffrages w s, consequently 44,353. In the con-t just ended Mr. S. S. Hammersley received 16,009, and Mr. Orbach 12,278 the (oral poll amounting to only 28,287. Thus ihe poll was decreased by no less than 36.3 per cent. while the relative proportions of the votes cast for the Conservative and Liberal candidates were 57 per cent, Con-creative, and 34 per cent, Labour, at the last general election and 57 per cent, Conservative, and 43 per cent, Labour, this week. At the last general election the num-of voters on the roll for East Willesden 5 71,411, and assuming that there has been stantial diminution of that figure—which is permissible in view of the tendency of the constituencies around London to increase instead of decrease—it is clear that both at the general election and the by-election no decisive vote has been recorded, and Willesden still remains a closed book 30 far as any attempt to forecast what would happen in the event of a more enthusiastic interest being taken in the elections, A poll of not more than 40 per cent. of the elec-lorate cannot be regarded as in any way indicative of the true political condition in the constituency.
The question arises however as to whether the rot, which appeared to be setting in after ihe assumption of office by Mr. Chamberlain and the enunciation of policies to whi there was a very great opposition throughout the country, has not been stopped. East Willesden does not provide a very satisfacto: answer, except that it may with some justice be argued, that if the opposition to the Prime Mipister had been as great there as it appeared a few weeks ago to be in other parts of the country, the Labour candidate would have made a better showing than he did, for he has been nursing the constituency, and may reasonably have been expected even on that score alone to have done better.
All that can be said for Mr. Orbach is that e falling off in his support was not so imposing as that of his opponent, but the fact ihat he was unable to poll more votes this week than he did before, suggests that opposition to the Prime Minister has no longer about it that strength which was to d a short while ago. That is where vative leaders will undoubtedly The dropping of Mr. Anthony Eden, the reversal of what had become to be regarded as almost traditional British policy, and the injection of a degree of realism into it instead of too close an adherence to doctrine, aroused a storm of indignation throughout the country, and observers at one time were exceptionally anxious lest it grew and submerged Mr. Chamberlain before he had had an opportunity of testing out his scheme. There seems every reason to believe that if there had been a general election but a few months ago, the National Government would either have been defeated, or have been returned to the House of Commons with a very much smaller majority an it has at present. The conclusion to be drawn from East Willesden, therefore, is that that constituency, as probably many others throughout the country, is prepared to give the Prime Minister a fair trial, and to wait and see where these new courses will take him. This journal pointed out at the time of the resignation of Mr. Eden, that the only possible test of Mr.-Chamberlain's policy [could be its success or failure. Upon that the whole of the balance: of his political fortunes is founded. Should he prove to have been right he will go down in history as a great statesman: wrong he will remain unsung.
It has also to be taken into account that East Willesden's apparent apathy may arise because of the fact that there is at present no burning issue which sharply divides British political parties. Even on the question of rearmament, there appears to be agreement, that it is regrettably necessary, and the only difference of opinion which exists is as to whether the present Government is prosecuting its programme with sufficient speed, About this there has been much discussion, but, taking government explanations in Parliament as a whole, the Cabinet seems to have made out a sufficiently good case to explain away its shortcomings, and to inspire confidence as to the future, while there is a grim quality about Mr. Chamberlain's leadership calculated to make an appeal to the people who realize the grave possibilities of a very grim time ahead unless such policies as those for which he stands are brought to their full fruition, A Government reverse at East Willesden might have been a serious matter, not sufficiently to drive it to the country, but important enough to give it furiously to think, That contingency has not occurred, and the immediate result is that the Government is faced with no definite proofs of a general falling from favour. On the other hand there is little or no encouragement to be found for it in this result, for at the most the only favourable inference to be drawn is that Willesden shows that the electorate is biding its time, that the new Government has not yet proved itself to the nation at large, and that only by results will it be able to go so. Nevertheless there is not much hope for the Opposition in this. It has not devised a positive policy with which to counter the Government. At the most it can only rely on criticism, for the general policy of Mr. Chamberlain of doing everything within honour to avoid the outbreak of war, is the only one which can possibly appeal to the electorate, and as he enunciated it first, rights of property belong io him, leaving his opponents without anything in the nature of a positive platform.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.