LABOUR’S REAL TRIAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 October 1924, Page 5

LABOUR’S REAL TRIAL.

THE RUSSIAN ISSUE. *X CAUL,*— fmtttQ Al'hUUi »TSJ|\ v-' R t lilUH'i LONDON. Oct. 1. An interesting turn has been given to the Anglo-Soviet treaty controversy by the decision of the Liberal Party to submit a motion declaring that, while anxious to support practicable schemes for promoting Anglo-Russian trade on the same terms a$ Dominion and foreign trade, it cannot approve of a treaty which does not assist the unemployment problem, but diverts resources and also places on the shoulders of the taxpayer the burden of liability for the Soviet loan

Tw*o crises, each involving the fate of the Government, have come on the scene together. One i s Mr. Asquith’s Russian motion, which, in view of Mr. Ramsay MacDonald’s Derby speech may well have most serious consequences; and the other is a motion which Sir Robert Horne has tabled, stating that the conduct of the Government in relation to th© withdrawal of criminal proceedings against the editor of the Workers’ Weekly is deserving of the censure of the House. This will be debated on Wednesday. The Daily Herald states: “The Government will treat the Tory motion as a censure motion, and if it is carried th© Government will ask the King for a dissolution, and will make a fight for social measures, housing, unemployment, European settlement, and all Labour stands for.”

In Liberal circles there is full appreciation that Mr. Asquith’s Russian motion means a rupture of the relations Liberals hitherto had with Labour. In effect it is an ultimatum. Party managers consequently anticipate an early resignation and a general election, though the Daily Herald claim s that there are twenty-eight Liberal members who are pledged to support the Russian treaty. The Daily Express says that Mr. Asquith’s motion to reject the Russian treaty was a bombshell for Parliament. There is little doubt that Mr. MacDonald, who has already, dissociated himself from Sir Patrick Hastings, will be compelled to jettison his AttorneyGeneral.

The Daily Herald, in a leader commenting on the Liberal meeting, says it is a warning of a coming battle, and leaves no doubt that Mr. Asquith has made up his wavfering mind that an election is imminent and has marched his battalions into the Tory camp

Mr. Lloyd George, Sir John Simon, and others leaders attended the Liberal meeting. Mr. Asquith’s attitude was enthusiastically approved. Mr. Asquith’s motion refers to Dominion trade and complains that the Russian treaty threatens to divert resources which are urgently needed for national and Imperial development. Mr. Asquith’s speech incidentally referred to a passage in the Imperial preference debate on June 18, in which Mr. MacDonald denied that the Government was offering credits to Russia, adding: “Only credulous people believe we are. lam sensitive about this. The Dominions should not misunderstand the charge—it is that we are giving special privileges to Russia, and refusing to give ordinary privileges to the colonies and Dominions.”