BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 69, 16 December 1918, Page 5

BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION

21,000,000 VOTERS AT THE POLL

CURIOUS LACK OF EXCITEMENT WOMEN NOT KEEN By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright (Roc. December 15, 0.5 p.ni.) London, December 13. Tlic election, in which twenty-one million voters will poll to-morrow, though described as the most momentous of modern times, is characterised by a curious lack of excitement, almost apathy. This is notably the ease so far as the eight i million now women vol era .are concerned, and whoso verdict no "political prophet ventures to forecast. That the coalition will bo victorious is a certainty. The only question is the size of the majority. Intimates vary from one hundred and eighty to ono hundred and thirty over all other parties, but it is asserted that the results of Ihe canvass have made many candidates nervous regarding what were considered' lo be safe seats, and at least two hundred seats are doubtful, including those for which prominent men like Mr. Al'Konna, Mr. Arthur Henderson, Dr. MacNamara, Sir Eric Geddes, Sir Albert Stanley, Mr. Roberts, Mr. CL N. Barnes, and Dr.* Addison, are standing. The Labour Party is now more confident of securing more :than.the one hundred and thirty seats which they originally estimated. The ■ Coalitionists concede Labour a minimum of eighty seats. The Coalition papere emphasise tho point that the sole issue is -whether the Government which organised the victory should bo returned to make peace and organise reconstruction, to which tho Opposition' Press retorts: "Vote for a free Parliament, free trade, and no conscription!" Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Kcuter.

POLLING IN LONDON. (Eeo, December 15, 11.40 p.m.) London, December 14. Polling in Loudon is proceeding steadily. In many places women are prominent in exercising their voting privi-lege's.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Rcuter. MR. LLOYD GEORGE ATTACKS THE LABOJ]R_PARTY SWEEPING INDICTMENT. (Roc. .December 16, 1.30 a.m.) London, December 14. Mr. Lloyd George, in a striking speech, on the ove'of the election, violently attacked the Labor Party. .Ho said, it' has been run by Pacihsls and Bolshe-' Viki. "If," he declared, "the country had listened to Ramsay MacDoiuUl, Philip Snowden, Smillic, and others, the Channel ports would have been in the hands of the Germans. Not a single British ship, could have passed that highway of commerce. ' Wo would now liavo been Germany's bondmen . and slaves. These extreme Pacifists pulled Labour out of the Government at, the moment when Labour was Heeded for reconstruc-tion."—Ans.-N.Z. Cable Assiij-Reuter.

REFORM OF THE LORDS MR, BONIR LAW. AT GLASGOW.: . (Rec. December IG, 1.30 a.m.) London, December 11. , Air. Bonar. Law, speaking at Glasgow, said that the Government believed that the great mass of the people wanted a second. Chamber in the possession of adequate powers, as a necessity in a democratic country. The Government intended to reform the House of Lords, giving it direct access to the people—A nzac. TWO POINTS ABOIFTHE WOMEN'S ATTITUDE ;. (Bee.'December 15, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 13. The "Timeg" says: "London women are largely apathetic nt. the elections, but the interest will .gradually' grow in the same way as it did in Australasia. There is greater keenness in the north, where women have received a rough sort of political education through.the industrial co-operative organisations. The candidates tsay that the women everywhere show an uncompromising attitude towards Germany, and are ardent for radical and social reconstruction.—Reuter.

DEATH OF A CANDIDATE HIS WIDOW PILLS THE BREACH. (Rec. December 15, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 13. Colonel Lucas, the Unionist candidate for Kensington, died, after tho date of his nomination. His widow will stand in his place. The polling at Kensington has been postponed till December 20.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GROWING EXCIMeIt IN IRELAND SINN FEINERS AND NATIONALISTS IN COLLISION. (Rec. December: 15, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 13. Excitement is growing in Ireland. There have been violent collisions between the Sinn Feiners and the Nationalists. Many meetings have been broken up, and there have been several instances of persons receiving revolver wounds. The missiles, however, mostly consist of eggs, bottles, and stones.—Reuter.