The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1910. THE BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 973, 14 November 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1910. THE BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

The announcement that the "Veto" Conference has been a failure will have surprised nobody who, like ourselves, has ■ kept in view since June the insoluablo character of the quarrel between the two great parties. ..Tho issue was simply whether Britain should continue to enjoy bicameral government or whether tho revising Chamber should be deprived of any.actual power of revision; and with such an issue there was clearly no way of splitting the difference. It is of course a verygreat pity that compromise was impossible, .but there is no little absurdity in the idea, which underlies the general lamentations, that British statesmanship can do nothing finer than avoid a "fight to a finish." ■We are not at all in sympathy with notion of "compromise" as the easiest way out of any difficult situation—no sincere person who habitually takes long views can do other than resent a principle that involves the denial thai truth will prevail if you will only be.patient. Just as it is idle to mourn over the failure of the .Conference, so there is nothing to be gained by making public the course of the secret negotiations. The issue is the thing, and we shall get quite soon onough and quite often onough any fresh discoveries concerning it that tho Conference was able to make. Nobody, on whichever side in the struggle his sympathies may lie, can feel very proud of the way in which tho British press has taken the announcement. The Daily Chronicle, for example, seems to hold that it has no higher duty than to utter the commonest claptrap of the party fighter. "Tho Tory leaders," it says, "have re-, jeeted tho settlement that was possible at tho Conference." That the Chronicle should put the position in this way, without regard to the fact that the other side can with .'.qual justice say exactly the same thing of the Governmerit's representatives, is clear evidence that this journal believes that it must still rely upon ignorance and prejudice. On the other side, disappointment and anxiety—anxiety, hot for the nation, but for the Unionist party —are written in every line of the Daily Mail's comments.

Most singular of all the comments, however, are those of the Times, which is doubtless influenced by the failure of a plan first propounded its own pages. Wo should be very sorry indeed to think .that either Britain's high repute or "the cautious development of her institutions" depended upon her "talent for political compromise." Wherever it has seemed to be "compromise" that has served Britain well, a little analysis will show that the ' "compromise" has really been the withdrawal of error as the result of discussion. "A grave constitutional issue," the Times bitterly complains, "must thusapparently be decided as a mere incident in party warfare." Surely this is to overlook the fact that the settlement of the issue by the Conference would have made tho Constitution much more a party matter. When the nation gives its decision, as it will now have to give it, the decision may be an unwise one, but the nation should havo tho handling of the issue rather than a group _of politicians concerned to treat it only as a source of trouble ,to their parties in Parliament. It is plain enough now that the first duty of the Unionist party, after tho elections of January last, was to concentrate its force upon demonstrating to the nation the folly and the presumption of the Radicals' claim that Mr. Lloyd-George's ideas are so important that the Crown and the Constitution must got out of their way. Unfortunately, the dominant ,wing of the Unionist party has been too intent upon its new tariff policy to give its traditional care to tho defence of sound political principles.. In subordinating every consideration to the achievement of tariff reform, it has fallen away from its former high position. It has more than once, for example, leaned towards State Socialism ; its loader,. in a remarkable little debate last session, had the unique experience of boing sternly warned by Mr. Asquith of the folly of shutting one's eyes to tho Socialistic character of certain ideas. Thoro arc cvidonces, too, that the party's faith in the matter of the Union itself is no longor "rockribbed," but woakened by strains of heresy.

Before leaving the Conference, and glancing at the future, wo may express the surprise and satisfaction that all thoughtful persona must feel at the announcement from Mr. Balfour, through Mit. Walter Long, that Imperial Federation formed no part ai the discussion at the Conference. It is to be hoped that this will retire into the background an idea that is fraught with the deadliest peril to tho Empire. Exactly what tia course of events will be

does not greatly matter. The Government, oven without the spur of Hit. Eedjiond's anger, will be glad to have an election as soon as possible, for a, delay that would give the Unionist party time to perfect its scheme for the- reformation of the House of Lords would be disastrous to any hope that the country might be carried by an avalanche of Limehousc speeches. The Government's position is greatly weaker than it was twelve months ago. The Unionist party has been ceaselessly working towards tbx construction of a largo popular policy; the Labour party is now less concerned about the House of Lords than about the Osborne judgment, on which point it is in conflict with the Government; the anti-Radical Nationalism of Mil. O'Brien has been making further headway; and the Government has nothing to fight upon-save the bare issue upon which it received such a heavy set-back in circumstances far more favourable to it at the beginning of the year. Ho would be a rash critic, however, who would predict with any positivencss the issue of the election, or the course of events in the first session 'of the new Parliament. Much as everyone must wish for an honourable end of the grievous political troubles of Britain, thero is unfortunately no light in any direction. Wherever one looks there is nothing but black clouds heavy with storm and lightning.