BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1923, Page 2

BRITISH ELECTIONS.

KIRI) BIRKENHEAD’S RETURN, tßeuters Telegrams.] LONDON, Nov. 20. Earl Balfour, Lord Derby, Mr Austin Chamberlain and Sir Robert Horne were present at the Contitutional Club, the occasion being Lord Birkenhead’s first election speech. Earl Balfour exhorted all Conservatives to support the Government, because a hare majority would he insufficient to carry out the Unionist policy. Lord Derby believed himself that Lord Birkenhead would accomplish a big task in securing a Conservative majority in Lancashire. Lord Birkenhead said that lie was utterly indifferent as to whether he held office or not if the Government was re-elected. He dwelt on the prosperity of protectionist countries like America, France and Italy. Mr Austin Chamberlain, said that reunited Liberalism was not their most dangerous opponent, but Socialism. A CORRECTION. LONDON. November 20. Correction—Mr Austin Chamberlain said the Socialist Party was not the most dangerous opponent hut the reunited Liberals. MR LLOYD GEORGE'S PORTRAIT. LONDON, Nov. 20. Regarding the election campaign, the Liberals with a view to emphasising the end of the schism in their ranks, have arranged for the Committee of the National Liberal Club to meet on Wednesday and rescind (be resolutions which relegated Air Lloyd George’s portrait front the dining room to the cellar. There was no speech by Mr Lloyd George to-day, but he addresses great Liberal meetings at the Queen's Hall to-morrow afternoon. LORD BIRKENHEAD'S SPEECH. LONDON, Nov. 2d. Lord Birkenhead’s speech to-day was in the best form ol his F. E. Smith days. He .said he could not understand why the l.ilsu'al Party was angry about the election, considering that they said it had reunited them. He emphasised that he would Hilly support the Baldwin programme. On the other hand lie claimed lull freedom for the expressions of his opinions in public affairs. He conlessed that personally he would have preferred Mr Baldwin to have included the whole of Joseph Chamberlain's agricultural programme. Was Britain, lie asked, to reconcile itself to a million and a half unemployed: It was said Mr Baldwin's policy was an imbecile one. II so, every other country in the world except Britain was imbecile. LORD BALFOUR'S VIEW. LONDON. Nov. 20. Another interesting development tuday was Lord Balfour s (rank declination at the Birkenhead luncheon of his personal attitude concerning which there is some speculation. Lord Balfour made it clear that he is as convinced a tariff reformer as lie was twenty years ago. He slid: It U stated that the situation justifies tariff reform, because it is worse than when tariff reform last was proposed. That, it is worse. I agree, hut some ot us say it is worse because we did nut accept tariff reform twenty years ago I think that if we could have checked tho rise of tariff walls against us, our present position would have been much more solid than now.

SPEECH HEARD BY 2<i,o''o PEOPLE. LONDON. Nov. 20. Mr Baldwin on Tuesday night addressed a meeting at Reading. His speech was wirelessed to other public halls in the town, and it was heard by twenty thousand people. E BENCH CRITICISM. LONDON. Nov. 20. Mr Baldwin's electoral programme speeches are being closely studied in France, “Lo Temps" admits the obvious sincerity of the Prime Minister, but comoliiins time Air IBuhlwin Ims abandoned indefinitely the hope ot establishing European exchanges. H savs he advises his countrymen to build a wall and hide themselves behind it, leaving the European continent to welter chaos. The consequence will he that the Continental Nations will he forced to unite more closely. AIR ASQUITH’S M IT’. LONDON, Nov. 20. The Hon IT. IT. Asquith opened his own election campaign hv addressing a large meeting at Paisley, in Scotland. He aroused loud laughter by describing Air Baldwin’s tariff scheme as not merely a ease ol “wait and see,” hut a case of “vote and see.” In discussing the European situation, Air Asquith said that instead <>t standing as a detached, impotent spectator. Britain, on her own initiative should ask for combined action by the great Powers and the smallei States to clean away the incubus _ ol sectional interests, which was impoverishing the world, so as to banish the common curse ol competitive armament. LORD ROBERT CECIL’S VIEWS LONDON. Nov. 20. Lord Robert Cecil, who is accepting a peerage, in a farewell speech to his constituents at Hitching, said that lie was not going to resign from the Government. He declared that to tuin down hastily any proposal to give the Government" greater powers to negotiate with foreign countries regarding tariff, would he pedantry gone mad. A police of retaliation would really he active, instead of passive, free trade. It should he a step towards free imports if preference were given to the Dominions. Britain had in the Empire itself, a gigantic potential market. Personally ho would not recommend anything in the nature ol a bargain with its Dominions. Commercial bargains Ifotwoon members ol a lumdy v'ei'c apt to diminsh tho family feeling rather than increase it. but the tmovement’s policy of preference had no siicmostioi! ot ibis. SOAIE OF THE GAN DID AT EH. LONDON. Nov. 25. Mr Pilkington. a Wextndiaii. is contorting Keighley as a Liberal. So fai it is a. straight- out field there i against Air Lees Smith. The Labour member. Air Harney. b seeking re-election at South Shields.