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Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1922, Page 5

HOME POLITICS.

THE CRISIS GRAVER. SPLIT AMONG UNIONISTS. LOYALTY OF LIBERALS. By T»1 •graph.—Press Aun.—Copyright, Received March 3, 9.20 pan. London, March 2. The Daily Chronicle states that the political crisis became graver on Wednesday. In pursuance of a desire by the Unionist leaders to consolidate the Coalition ranks, Mr. Austen Chamberlain and Mr. A. J. Balfour met Sir George Youngers. (chairman of the Unionist Party) ahd discussed the difficulties which had arisen owing to Sir George Younger’s public utterances. The latter was not asked to resign, but the grave difficulties in which the Coalition found itself was stressed. Sir George Younger stood to his guns and refused to modify his attitude. The Unionist leaders were much disappointed. The fact is that Sir George Younger has based himself largely on the advice of the Unionist Party’s agents, whom the Chronicle suggests do not represent the feeling of the constituents. During Wednesday evening the Liberal members of the Cabinet dined with Mr. Lloyd George at the Savoy Hotel and discussed the situation. Those present at the Savoy were Sir E. Shortt, Mr. Winston Churchill, Mr. R. S. Montagu, Mr. A. H. Fisher. Sir Gordon Hewart, Dr. J. T. Macnamara, Sir Alfred Mond, Sir Hamar Greenwood, Mr. F. E. Guest, Mr. R. Monro, and Mr. C. A. McCurdy. To a man they assured Mr. Lloyd Gaorge that if he felt obliged to resign they would also resign in a body. The feeling among the Liberals is that the Unioned leaders must keep discipline within their party if the Coalition is to keCp in being. It is possible that if Sir George Younger goes the Coalition would extricate itself from the awkward situation, but it must be made clear that the Unionist leaders will not be contraverted by the party organisation. It is understood that after the Unionist discussion Mr. Lloyd George took a serious view of the situation when the, Irish Bill was in committee.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. London, March 2. A large meeting of peers and Conservative Unionist members of the House of Commons was held in the House of Commons and adopted a resolution that, in order to restore confidence in the country, and in view of the approaching election, there was urgent need for the reassertion of Conservative and Unionist principles. The Daily Chronicle states that Sir George Younger (chairman of the Unionist party) refuses to modify his attitude and Mr. Lloyd George has taken a serious view of the situation. Mr. Amerv, speaking at the luncheon to Mr. Jowett, referred to the rumors of a prospective divorce of the two Coalition parties. He did not believe the position was so serious. The situation was more akin to two lovers contemplating matrimony, hut faced with the difficulty of a divided property and of deciding who was bringing most into the common estate and fixing the marriage settlements.