BRITISH POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1920, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS

SPEECH BY HON GEORGE. r AUSTRALIAN & N.Z CIA THE ASSOCIATION J LONDON, Oct. 8. Mr Lloyd George, in opening the autumn political campaign at Llandudno, had a rousing reception from- a typical Welsh audience. He put up a vigorous defence of the Coalition Government. The Premier said that if the Coalition was a sin against Parliament “then Mr Asquith, who was the author, is a Jeosaphat. See the Second Book of Chronicles, Chapter 20, verse 37.” Every country that engaged in the war, except America, had adopted a Coalition system in order to save the State. America came in late. Her assistance was crucial and determining, but her loss of life was only equal ten that of the plucky Dominion of Australia. “We are still in the zone of the hurricane,” said the Premier, “and that is why I am in no hurry to get back to party wrangles. I would not take the responsibility before God of quitting the helm of the. ship of State. My advice to my country men is: Put on your sou’ westers. We want peace on earth and good-will towards men, not merely in Russia and Poland, but here .in our own factories, workshops and mines. The world cannot be rebuilt on rocking foundations.” Before the war the nijpiber of strikers in Britain in a jjea'r was 800,000, and this number had swelled to two and a half millions in 1919. Whatever happened Mr Lloyd George said, he was determined never to surrender the rights of the community to the minority, as this would mean the end of a Democratic Government, and the beginning of a Soviet Government. There were signs of reason and commonsense prevailing in the coal crisis, but everybody must resolve to produce to their utmost. He was glad that Mr Smiliie had the courage to tell the miners what their duties was. The Premier, asked his Liberal friends to realise the difficulty of peace with Russia, from whence the poisonous atmosphere was emanating. In view of the unsettled position, the middle course was the only safe one. Mr Lloyd George did not refer to the Irish crisis in detail, hut ventured to predict that Home Rule would be passed by the Coalition Government.