THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 January 1919, Page 5

THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

FIVE TO ONE VICTORY. A SURPRISE TO THE COUNTRY. CEDSHEfG DEFEAT OF THE PACIFISTS. t Received Dec. 31,10.5 p.m. London, Dec. 30. embers of the Cabinet who quitted coalition with Asquith in 19 Hi wera {ejected, also many lesser ministers. The Baity Chronicle considers that twenty-two elected Liberals are prepared to follow Mr Lloyd George. The others are uncertain. Only five- fully pledged Asquitliians utrcre returned. That the coalition: would prove vicJiorious was % foregone conclusion, but nobody anticipated it to obtain a majority • in the proportion of almost five to one, nor such complete rout of the pacifists and women candidates. Not merely Was no eoalitionist minister defeated, tat mostly were re-elected by extraordinary majorities. The Laborites fared badly. They were ttpteted to secure at least a hundred ■eats, and thought their actual representation would be larger than in the old Parliament. Those returned generally are distinguisheed for the soundness of their views on the war. .As a Sinn Feiner the Countess of Markevicf is the only woman elected, and as the Sinn Feiners who emerge from the election are the third strongest party, and refuse to sit at Westminster, the House of Commons remains exclusively male. Amongst the .notables who forfeit their £lso,deposit for failing to secure the necessary one eighth votes polled are three feomen —Mistresses Strachey and Martin and Miss Murray, also , Messrs Mc&innon Wood, Pringle and [ Austin Harrison. One feature of the election i 9 that the Coalition and not Labor gained most from the losses of Independent Liberals. The only district faithful to Aaquithians was Derbyshire, which returned four oot of eight seats. The Coalition officers claim that the two principal factors contributing to > the triumph were the votes for women and soldiers. The former made the majority secure and the soldiers' vote, according to one official, carte as a tidal wave in favor of Mr Lloyd George. The Sunday papers sum up the election as a pergonal triumph for Mr Lloyd George and the disappearance .of two great parties, i-e-, the liberals and the Irish Nationalists. The papers without exception emphasise that the election is not mer.ely a great trimnph but a great opportunity for Mr Lloyd- George, and declare that the country, having won the war, means to win peace, not merely by imposing stern justice on their enemies, but by insisting on a vast programme of social reforms. The governing classes are on their trial H they fail, to satisfy the country, which is impatient of the game of politics as hitherto played, a painful reckoning awaits them. In this connection it is pointed out that Labor , largely voted Coalition in expectation of a policy agreeable to Labor. ■ The Rtv Hon. C. N. Barnes, interviewed, stated he was of opinion that the country had turned against everyone who was not j Wholeheartedly supported the war. He' believed the Labor Party lost a great I ehance by truckling to the Bolsheviks. | An analysis of the polling shows that London and Scotland polled less than half of the total electorate; the Eng- " lish boroughs and counties little over j half; and Wales just half. C. Trevelyan shared the fate of other pacifists. The well known laborite, Jewett, was also defeated by the Coalitionist. For nine Belfast seats six Unionists two Labor Unionists and one Nationalist were returned. Only the following remain of the Nationalist Party; J- Devlin, T. P. O'Connor, Captain Redmond, P. Donnelly, P. OTJoherty, E. J. Kelly, J. McVeigh, T. Harbison. Ulster constituencies returned twentythree Unionists, eight Sinn Veiners, and seven Nationalists. The Labor successes were mostly Lancashire, Yorkshire and Midlands They won the following seats: Ormskirk, Leek. Morpeth, Clithero, Soathwick, Bother Valley, Hemsworth, West Notting--ham, Burnley, West Ham, Rothwell, Wigan, West Bromwich, Aberdeen City. St. Helen's. Preston, Wednesbury, Kingswinford, Kelson on Colne, Angelsea, Kettering, Newton, Edinburgh Central, Wentworth, Yorkshire, Houghton-le-Bpring, Caerphilly, Govan, Forest of Dean, Brostowe, Redwellty. Speaking at Liverpool, Mr T. P. O'Connor declared the Government had driven Ireland to passionate resentment, and must take, the responsibility if sixty or seventy Irish members of the House of Commons were jailed,—Reuter.

. v GREAT flDAii WAVE. X; 1 ~ j A MANDATE TO LLOYD GEORGE. y London, Dec. 29. The newspapers liken the Coalition tfejmph to a tidal wave swallowing up irfciv men of long public service. It yat -th* quietest but the greatest election 'in- Watory. The Observer says: The nation Eas given Mr" Lloyd George a mandate because it believes he has a clear ami couraeffons vision of -the task of securing a tarable peace, restoring the Empire's wen-being and carrying oat a bold progradw» of reforms TheiTortholiffe presp bails the result as tß* 'death-blow to ths old gang, including {lie pacifists, wobblers, cranks and wHth'men.'. ( The newspapers join in wishing women better IO& in declaring in women's voices upon tie social reforms desirable in the TTouse of Commons. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

"My fr'e>}3 now 50, and Sad feeen t very heavy drinker since the age of 18. We thonght.him hopeless. Seven months ago we started Dnnko treat*M»t. Now.although he is in same rviromaent with same temptations, Kt ha* not the slightest inclination fer drink." (Paragraph from an Anck■Wid lady's earnert letter of gratitude.) Wily that is convincing. Drinko is odourless and tasteless. Can be given Meretly, if desired. Penaanent reWits. TPritc for booklet of testimoniand particulars. Everything confidottinl. Plain sealed envelopes used. v 7? Mr, Mrs., or Miss. Xady :sc;/ Mlasfn. tijlco Proprietary, 212 A.C.. y I+mlAtn Qmx, tStflimatoft \ ■ t'*:i»" ■