The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1920. POLITICS AND THE EMPIRE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3483, 11 May 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1920. POLITICS AND THE EMPIRE.

With which is imcorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.”

New Zealanders haV6”'§e large and so nearly a. complete measure of self'govcrnment that very few indeed trouble about what changes -of administration take place at“ the heart of the Empire. At present Britain is governed by b-oth great parties, it is, I in fact, a. continuation of the war Grovcrnmentpa mixture of elements which in peaceful times would be engaged in an internecine strife as bitter as any political parliamentary hustling to ‘secure the sweats and efrfoluments of office discovered in other countriesWithin the last twenty years the Labour Party in the House has grown to a degree of 's‘t’rength which is no longer negligible, and which seems likely to rapidly be placed on a footing equal to that enjoyed by either Conservatives or Liberals." The power of ‘the third party is very clearly shown in the many and great gains Labour has made since the termination of the war, in fact, the struggle in Britain is nollonger between Liberalism ‘ and Conservatism, it is one of ‘Labour against all other parties, -much as it is in New Zealand politics. Parties are, 'within themselves, undergoing modifications of’ so ~far-reaching a character in the political semi-chaos resulting from war that can only end in new and much clearer distinguishing party lines being drawn. The interests of The [WO

‘extremes, Conservuatism ands L:tb:)__ill'9 are so far fixed that theyiican only » gather strength from defeicitiions 111 the \ ranks of opp_onents, or at’ elections. J There are‘,‘:‘howe.ver, members of.lhe Elouse.~of'°Coninions it‘ is difiizult to f place, the policy with respect to Ireland proving a factor in placing ihem either with. the Liberal intevfizst or ixvitlrihe Conservatives, in accord with the depth of eonviction professed in connection with Home Rule. This? disturbing factor has affected the an-I aliirnity of Liberalism more than tliatl of any other party. Liberalism tacks; that cohesiveness which is a strong‘ feature of both Conservatism and‘ _Laboul'_. its own professed adherents! rendering it :1 shnttlecoek much at the ~ mercy of the other ‘two parties. "Prior I to the War, Liberals strongly held pos- i session of the Government benches, representing the great" trading, ;n:m»if:3.cturing and shipping interests. Obvii ouslyjbeing tugged in clit‘ferent directions, in their,con<iu‘ct of the war by opposing iiiterests of Liberal factions, persistent a11(1-[determined conduct of ‘the war became something‘ to be jug~ i gled with, re=si‘llting in a National Government assuming control, with Mr‘ [Lloyd}George as Premier, and at a ‘general election held after the cessation of war the country overwllelmingly ratified the course adopted, that Coalition Government remaining in‘ office to the present time. Latterly I Liberalism has commenced a vigor-ousi

I reorganisation, and is once more mak- ! iug its power felt. ‘This may be talien !as an indication that some definite rc- ‘ ‘construction in politics has eventuated and that a measui-e of stability has been given to industrial, t.r:l=lir.g and shipping conditions, enabling a definite and presentable policy being: evolved ttlzat will appeal to the constitm-ncies lat a general election. lleazitlv reiceived cable messages fully indicate [the disorganisation, and, in fact «lisorderliness into wlrich the miallle. political party drifted as :1 res.-zit of the I war, and it now appears that the prelwar forces of Liberalism are rent lasunder by adherents of the Coalition 1 standing in the way of parties returnl ing to the fold into which they were .electe(l a decade ago. The section led by Mr Asquith is determined t.o end the fusion of all parties in a Government claiminp; that reconstruction of industry and finance can only be successfully accomplished under some definite plan by one political party, and that confusion can only result in reconstructive measures passed by the eonflicting elements of a. coalition of all parties. In New Zealand a. Nation- 1 a] Government has furnished abundant evidence of the impossible nature of‘ party coalition, and sympathy will be felt with those Home Liberals who‘ are trying to shake themselves clear of ' Tm-yism on one side and extreme. Labour ‘on the other. At a meeting of the National Liberal Federation, held last week, an invitation for fusion of Asquithian Liberals with Coalition Liberals was overwhelmingly rejected, and erstwhile members of the.Asquithl Cabinet were not ‘allowed’ to speak. Coalitionists are not hopelessly‘ weak

‘in numbers or influence, but it is apl>'~tl‘G!!l‘- that any attempt to secure the ‘popular Liberal ear by _tWo Liberal ‘factions must result in etfacenient. of ilhe whole as a political force. The ‘great political problems today are ‘ largely those which faced the Asquith ‘Government when it came into power ten years ago, foremost. -among them i being the Irish question. It is beyond ‘conception that Ireland Will, or can, 1 be dragged in the wake of England; it was hoped. that an‘ Imperial Federation would be evolved, giving autonomy to lcvery part of Empire, . to Wales, ‘Scotland, and Ireland, as well as to the present self-governing Dominions. While such a cementing together of Empire remains unaccomplished, it I seems ‘there is -something at ‘fault with Empire builde?s"in charge of operaitions. It is doubtful whether any satisfactory, permanent. reconstruction J of Empire can be achieved While some definite form of Federation is left in labeyauce. No living person can at present guess whaf'lhe future of the British Empire is to be; it is often likened to old civilisations, to the Empire of Rome, to the Napoleonic Empire, but the difierences to either are so obvious thift they need not be ~ mentioned. The success, harmony, and ‘loyalty -of Britons rest upon the freeldom and local autonomy they enjoy, no matter where their community is established. Neither Roman Emperors nor Napoleon gpve to distant parts of Empire that self-government which the British Empire concedes. Britons, lwhcrever they live, whether it be in England -or in the Antipodes, are rendered loyal to one King and one Empire by the full exercise of freedom without being compelled to contribute taxation for the upkeep -of ins-titutions in which they have no voice. Political splits and upheavals may interfere with the progress of liberty, justice, and equality, upon which the superstructure of Empire rest.s_. but their effects can only be of a temporary nature. No greater freedom than that enjoyed by British Dominions is ‘at present conceivable, and it be‘comes equally inconceivable that Doiminions having such freedom, and {such incial.‘ relationships wi'lh their lparent nation. can ever desire to cut lthomselves adrift and thereby endanger the whole Empire edifice. Reference is made to the fixture 'of",Enlpire l because it is 'indiscreétly:'lii'getl in some quarters that the whole systeni of Empire defence should be scrapped, and that British peopl'é"‘§hould. place deg ,pond(‘nce for peace and freedom from _interference u-po"n a display of help'lessness and inability to attack their neighbours. It is undeniable that. a world brotherhood yet. remains in ‘the lfltopi-.111 category, and to strive after: the unattainable will only weaken the‘ power to withstand against such ag-is gression, ‘the effects of which the Whole world is striving to recover from. No doubt British people will, when the; mists of war have been completely dis- ‘ persed, elect Governments that will have as their guide the stability of Empire. The only disfiguremen'l‘ of the great. civilising structure now is the break in the chain of Empire autonomy in Ireland. "The immediate bar to rapid reconstructi'cTn is the failure of all British Governmenitsito inere:ls_e production. There is :1 change of Government imminent in the near“ future in Britain. which will have the’ effect of incalc‘-:labtl_V improving political and industrial life, or of creating‘ ‘a. situation in which it may be said every man’s hand will be against his brother. The same may be said of} New Zealaud and other Briti.<l~. Domiu-' ions. ' ‘ l