The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17th, 1922. THE VINDICATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17th, 1922. THE VINDICATION.

The speeches by lit. Hon. David Lloyd George and tho Rt. Hon. Austen Chamberlain gave a very dear exposition of the political situation at Homo ami acre ill once a vindication of the position of the Government. T lie onlookers can quite .appreciate the difficulties ei call'd by the afteimath of the war, and will realise mine and more, how in the face of those difficulties Britain has held on to her task of slowly--necessarily slowly evt Icing a recovery. For it is a recovery to glean that Britain is’ paying up her debt to America; that Britain has bron able to amply keep her word tf 1 Ireland; that Britain as necessity called was able to mobilise in force sufficient to overawe the Turks and prevent a cruel war penetrating again into Europe. Besides all tin’s Britain lias done a great deal for labour and unemployed alike it Home, in ameliorating conditions. and., in so ordering an internal administration that in the face of feaiful odds she still stands supreme as tho virile power in Europe. To

achieve all this is no small tribute to the wisdom of her Government, and to the steady hand which has dire ted affairs at Home and abroad. Mr Lloyd George stands out supreme as the great asset of tto Knipire. if not of the world. Other statesmen have been eclipsed, er passed out of ken. The sometime strong men of America, Franco. Italy, Russia and even Germany hate had to give place tn others and nowhere, despite the swapping of lenders, is there as stable an outlook n.s in Great Britain. In that plain language with which he chillies nil his important statements to the people. Air Lloyd George reviews in a few brief sentences the stupendous task tbo Government has been grappling with. He lias done bis work devotedly. Not for the purpose of clinging to office, but with a sincere and earnest desire to benefit the nation. He is t-lie greatest living factor within the Empire to whom the people as a whole would best prefer that in the hour of crisis, he should he at the helm. The Manchester speech will go down into history, as a clear-cut statement covering a series of complex questions and putting to the nation n straight forward issue as to how far success has been achieved along the only possible lines it were reasonable to travel. The whole life service of tlie Prime Minister lias been in the direction of peace, and it was only in the ease of dire necessity for a great national purpose that he would side with the arbitrament of the sword. Of all the statesmen who would claim the privilege of leading the Empire at this juncture, Air Lloyd George retains "the greatest confidence of the nation. This fact is evidenced by the condition of affairs when the premiership was thrust upon Afr Llovd George. Ho accepted it only under pressure, and when other prominent men had declined the office. It carried a great, responsibility, Ibut the Crime Minister has performed his task with wliat must he regarded as remarkable success. This is more impressive when the plight of other nations which have passed through difficulties akin to Great Britain, is .taken into account. It would appear a general election is near at hand. It were best to solve the political situation that way, because the uncertainty of parties is weakening to the main policy of the country. Afr Lloyd George lias put the issue of tlie occasion before the electors in bis Manchester speech in such a way as to mako it plain that it were well to end party bickerings and to settle down to tbo national task which is ahead ns difficult in the future as in the past and which can he overcome only by that patience, forelioarnnoo and regard for tlie right, which lias distinguished the course of government under Air Lloyd George’s leadership.