ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 697, 23 December 1909, Page 7

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

THE NAVY. HOME RULE AND A GERMAN BELFAST. MR. ASQUITH'S RIDICULE.' (Br Teleeraph.-Presa 'Aseaclatlon.-OopyrlEttU (Roe. December 22, 10.85 p.m.) London, December 22. Speaking at Liverpool; tho ■ Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith, referred to tho remark of Earl Cawdor (formerly TJnioaist First Lord of the Admiralty) that if Irish- Homo Rule woro granted, only war would prevent tho German fleet occupying, Belfast, and that tho people of England'wore not blind enough to allow Belfast to become a German dockyard and the base for a German fleet. .' Mr. Asquith ridiculed Lord Candor's nerveshaking picture of a Gorman occupation of Belfast After careful inquiry, ho could say that the Navy was able to maintain the supremacy of the seas not only this year but in the years before us. 'Should necessity arise, the fleet would be able to guarantee the integrity. of our shores, tho protection of our commerce, ■ and the inviolability of tho Empire. He did not believe that the Army and the Navy had been bettor organised or equipped Bince the close of the Napoleonic wars. .Lord Cawdor, speaking at Rochdale, said that Germany was building warships-rapidly, and was.working overtime, while England was sitting still with hands, folded -doing nothing. LORD ST. ALDWYN AGAINST ACTION OF LORDS. . BUT SUPPORTS THEM AGAINST THE :■ GOVERNMENT. ixuj ■"''.'"" London, December 21. Lord St. Aldwyn (a former Unionist Chanccl- •«.° f tlle who: differed in 1903 with Mr. Chamberlain's, tariff reform viows),ui a letter to a correspondent, explains his silenco on tho Budget, which had been made a subject of comment. ■.''•■ .' ...■■■".•..■'■• '. Lord St. Aldwyn saysho has been silent because nothing ho could say would have prevented the rejection of the Budget. Hβ; did not earo.to arguo against'his own side. "Tho wisest leaders 'in the.past have always held that the only ground" on which tho Lords can properly reject .a finance, measure is 'tacking.' Tsee nothing actual in tho proposals of tho Bill so foreign to the finance of the. year:.as to justify, its rejection.on the grouad of 'tacking,' nor can tho proposals, whatever, their advocates have said, .be propwly described as Socialism or revolution. ' "The imposition, of small duties' on imported, articles that have a largo consumption would have been financially _.-sounder and less injuri--ous.tothe working classes than some of tho excessive .direct .included in "the. Budget. , . .It would be .wrong, to infer from my silenco that I am on tho Government's side.■. Tho..Government/now'proposes, to make the Lords impotent, except for twelvo months, and then Home Rule, disendowniont of. the Church, universal suffrage, and every other Radical' nostrum would be' passed into -law by a cauous Government majbrity in a gagged House of Commons. This would mean despotism 'under' the mask of popular government j thoreforo, I advise the electors to vote against,tho Government.".. ■- '-•'.■ . '; fv'REFORM'OF.THE LORDS. URGED ON THE tTNIONISTS BY LORD '-,'. .": ; ; ;-.;.:; ROSBBERY.; '■■. ,■; ;.-,.•■ - ■: J" . London, December 21. ! Lord Rosebery (who is an advocato of reform 6f tho House of Lords by making it' moro representative), in a letter, asks for a definite declaration by .both parties regarding, reform of the House , of Lb'rdsl : ' ', : ' '■■? :i^' ■•. . "The Government," ho.Bays;."wish.the Second Chamber, to be pliant-a phantom Chamber —but tho. country does not. wish Jlo give the Liberals carte blanche'to deal with the Constitution in any' way' they think'fit; '■-. ■'; ./'On the other.'hand, unless Mr. Balfour gives' a pledge—thoroughly.-.arid unmistakably—wo may'seoa,Conservative , Government.repent the fatal, error ! df letting; an .opportunity -pass.".'-,

■■ : V'.:' "■ LABOUR PARTY."k '-/:■■/'■■ ■ ■;' FINANCES GOOD FOE TWO'TBAES. : ' - :■—;---' .1 ■-,- - ; ''. London,'; Decembe- 21.--Mγ. Koir Hardio, Labour M.P., speaking at Glasgow, said ■ tho Labour parly had 6verj> thing in ordor for carrying. on' their, flna'nbial work for at-least two years.; ;-'"' r [ Yw ■■ : " ■ LABOUR FINANCES AND LIBERAL SEATS'! Mr. Keir Hardie has been a strenuous advo- , cato of- Labour independence. "So much." he said, "has been heard of an alliance between the Liberals and the< Labour party that it is necessary to emphasise the fact that, whatever the consequences, an agreement or an alliance is impossible. The Labour, party's object is. to unite:the working olass so as to create a power that will, one day bring about Socialism.We can only achieve that by maintaining'bur independence unsullied. The object of Liberalism and Toryism is to keep labour,divided, and landlordism and capitalism supreme." S ; >■' •• In other quarters it has been suggested that, financial considerations. ■ would prevent the Labour party invadingfoo many Liberal seats; and the. "Daily Mail" tauntingly remarked: "The general basis of the pact between the Government and • the Socialists is., now clear.' Where a : Labour member, is in possession he, will be unopposed,' and where a Liberal is in possession the Labour leaders will refuse funds to enable the Labour nominee to fight." •.'■'.• ; Mr. Keir Hardie's,remark to-day on the subject of tho Labour finances is therefore of interest, especially in view of the statement cabled yesterday that ''ti'.angular contests are threatened for. fifty-four seats, unless the 'Labour Party Conference sitting at Manchester decides to' withdraw its candidates." '/