“Whose Dirty Hands?”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1012, 1 July 1930, Page 11

“Whose Dirty Hands?”

BALDWIN TAKES GLOVES OFF

Conservative Party Crisis

FREE TRADERS ASSAIL LEADERSHIP

THE position of -Air. Stanley Baldwin, Leader - of tlie Conservative Party in England, lias been assailed in language of uncompromising bitterness, to which be has replied in equally forceful terms. His opponents, headed by Lord Beaverbrook and Lord Ilothermere, are accused of using their powerful newspaper influence to dominate the choice of Cabinet and to overwhelm any opinion that is opposed to Empire Free Trade. A conference of Conservatives expressed confidence in -Mr. Baldwin.

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United P.A.

By

Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, Monday.

f stitution of the whole party by discarding the referendum. Without a referendum Conservatism is free to withhold the food taxes issue from an election until it arises I in practical shape. It is equally free , to consult the Dominions. TURNS AGAINST BALDWIN Declaring that it is inspired, not in the least by personal antagonism, but on public grounds alone, the “Daily Mail.” in a leading article, pronounces against Mr. Stanley Baldwin’s leadership of the Conservative Party. “The country and the Conservative Party,” states the paper, “are faced with a crisis, and they should be led by a statesman of energy, resolution, and definite convictions. “We are convinced that the public can turn confidently to Lord Beaver brook for leadership and inspiration. “The United Empire Party intends to oppose Conservatives who refuse un. equivocally to adhere to Lord Beaverbrook's leadership.” The chief issue in the Conservative crisis is Mr. Baldwin’s policy toward the programme of the Imperial freetraders, particularly on the question of food taxes. As a compromise, Mr. Baldwin some months ago accepted the proposal jot Lord Beaverbrook, controlling shareholder in the “Daily Express” <lndependent Conservative), who leads the Imperial free-trade movement, to refer to the people the question of any agreement involving food taxes reached at a specially summoned Imperial Conference. Ho has repeatedly stated that food taxes will not figure in his programme at the next General Election. His utterances have been regarded as lukewarm by Imperial free-traders. Lord Rothermere is controlling shareholder in the “Daily MaH” (Independent Conservative), which is strongly supporting the Empire freetrade movement. Lord Beaverbrook is the founder of the Empire Crusade (Empire freetrade movement) and he has secured Lord Rothermere's support in his cause. The meeting of the Conservative Party was convened following attacks made on the leadership of Mr Baldwin by protagonists of the Empire free-trade movement.

Addressing *IOO Conservative candidates for the House of Commons at Caxton liall on Wednesday, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, in the boldest speech of his career, did not agree there was a party crisis, but if his hearers had not made up their minds, as he had made up his, there would be a crisis. “Great parties cannot swing to and fro from week to week without losing credit and confidence unless there j is a palpable reason for the change,’* he said. “If it can be proved the referendum is a bar to the unity of the Empire and there is no other way I of achieving unity, I am open to conj sider the question. “There is nothing more curious in I modern evolution than the effect of a rapidly-made fortune and the control of newspapers, giving power of attack without being hit back. “It goes to the head like wine. Attempts have been made in such cases to domineer and dictate outside the province of journalism. “Three of the most striking cases are the Hearst Press of the United States, and Lord Rothermere and Lord Beaverbrook in England. HEARST PRESS FAILED “Hearst failed to dominate American politics. He asked me to write for his papers and when I declined (cheers) he viciously attacked me. “Simultaneously he published a fulsome account of Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, whom he had previously abused as a pickpocket. “We are told that, unless we make peace with Rothermere and Beaver brook, these noblemen’s candidates will overrun the country. Mr. Lloyd George’s candidates at the last election smelt of these, and they will stink. “We have been challenged. We have been told the gloves are off. If they are, we shall see who has dirty hands. I accept the challenge as I accepted that of the Trade Union Council of 1926, when it launched a general strike, which is the only previous par allel to Rothermere’s present attempt to dictate party policy. 1 call his bluff. ’ “Before I saw Lord Beaverbrook the first time in March_liis emissary came to me and said his Lordship desired, in the event of our becoming allies, to ! be consulted regarding certain Cabinet offices. “INSOLENT DEMAND” “That conversation will probably be denied, but I have here Lord Rothermere's letetr to Mr. Hannon, M.P., written in March, declaring: ‘I would not support Mr. Baldwin unless I knew exactly his policy, and had a guarantee that it would be carried out, and also knew the names of at least eight or ten of his most prominent Ministers. Unless completely satisfied thereon no appeals will be listened tc from that quarter.’ ” Mr. Baldwin added: “These are the terms your leader would have to accept. He would have to say to his Majesty, ‘Sire, these names are not necessarily my choice, but they have Lord Rothermere’s support.* A more preposterous and more insolent demand has never been made on any party leader. T repudiate it with contempt and will fight this attempt at domination to the end.” CONFIDENCE IN LEADER “That interesting nobleman Viscount Roihermere has been saying Britain is in for a period of revolution,” said Mr. Baldwin in an address to Conservatives at Dorset. “If there is a revolution Lord Rothermere will be the first man to go to the South of France.” The meeting unanimously carried a resolution of confidence in him and in favour of a referendum being held before the imposition of food taxes. An amendment opposing a referendum was defeated. ROTHERMERE’S REPLY Replying to Mr. Baldwin’s criticisms, Lord Rothermere says that he holds most firmly that a political leader of today, certainly a Conservative leader, should publicly state beforehand -which of his colleagues are going to occupy the key Ministerial positions. Lord Rothermere ridicules the suggestion that he is attempting to dominate the choice of the Conservative Cabinet. “The electors.” he says, “have a right to know, when' they go to the polls, not only who will be Prime Min- : ister, but what Ministers are going to occupy certain of the key positions, , if the party for which they are voting is returned to power.” He adds: “This safeguard is particularly necessary in the case of Mr. Baldwin, who has blundered more regarding all-important appointments than any British Prime Minister in history.” “TIMES’S” OUTBURST “The Times,” in commenting on the controversy in a leading article, says it is difficult to acquit of a ludicrous piece of presumption the newspaper potentate who sought to transform, as part of a personal bargain, the accepted procedure by which a political leader chooses his colleagues and submits the names for the King’s approval. Mr. Baldwin repudiated this preposterous proposal, but he might have gone further and restored the con-