SPEECH BY MR. ASQUITH.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3394, 27 January 1920, Page 7

SPEECH BY MR. ASQUITH.

LONDON, Janu-al-'y 24

Mr. Asquith, speaking at Cambridige recalled that forty years ago there were only two parties. Now, Labour was a most formidable rival. He said that Lord Haldane’-s magnificent, unparalleled services to the country would ‘be vindicated ‘by time——and before long_ He expre:3sed the opinion that the heaviest indictment of the Coalition Government was that while the Peace Conference was 'red.istrib‘u"cing territories, repainting maps and imposing burdens. it made no serious or sustained attempt to secure even the foundation of possibilities 7of peace with Russia. The Coalition’s Russian policy wass ill—inspired and mistaken from thefirst. Such a large cominunity as Russia. must decide for itself——whether. rightly or wrongly, whether for ill or for good——its own form of Government. Now, at last, the Government had apparently settled on a policy, 113111813’ a refusal to inquire. Could there be a better illustration of the drawbacks of a Coalition than this zig-zag, this series of compromises, improvisvations, acconimodations, insincerities, and inconsistencies,

Dealing with Home Rule, Mr. Asquith said that it was impossible to govern Ireland with coercion in 011:: hand and conciliation in the other. The only way that Ireland could. be made loyal to the Empire was to apply the principles of the League of Nations, giving to the Irish people in a most complete and uncompromising form control over ‘her own affairs. Mr. Asquith declared that the AntiDuinping Bill not only violated all the pl-incip~les- of freetrade, but also the fundamental principles of Liberalism. But for the Liberal Government of which he had‘ been the head, we should have hid no enfranchisecl democracy. We should have had greatly restricted and monopolised trade, and had Labour still at the mercy of Capital. It was by following the principles‘ of the Liberal Party, and this alone,‘ that ive could secure for the country a. destiny Worthy of its past.

Mr_ Asquith has accepted the Paisley invitation to contest the %eat. The Paisley Uniomsts’ Alsscéieation has selected Mr. Mackean as Coa.l"ition candidate, and there are also prospects of the extreme ’Laboul-ites adopting Mr. Owen as their camldidate