BRITISH POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1922, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

An early election. POSITION OF PREMIER. LONDON PRESS VIEWS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Oct. 11. The Daily Chronicle says it is as certain as things can be that there will be an election this side of Christmas. The only doubt is whether the election can take place before the meeting of Parliament in November. ; The. Prime Minister is in a fighting mood, and Mr. Chamberlain has arranged his Birmingham meeting in support of Mr. Lloyd George. It .is hoped he will deal faithfully with the Conservatives who are trying to break up the Coalition. Mr. Chamberlain is giving loyal support to Mr. Lloyd George. Reports from the constituencies show that not a few Conservative Associations are threatening a revolt as a prelude to the annual Unionist conference in November.

Mr. Lloyd George’s friends in the Coalition favor an early general election. Some think that Mr. Lloyd George should retire and allow Mr. Chamberlain to form a Cabinet, but it is understod that Mr. Lloyd George would advise the King to dissolve Parliament in such circumstances.

Sir Robert Horne has postponed his visit to the United States to discuss the funding of the war debt, and Mr. Amery has postponed his visit to Canada.

The Westminster Gazette declares that Mr. Lloyd George is more anxious about the revolt in the Coalition ranks :han about the attacks of the Opposition All the movements behind the scenes indicate the revival of the struggle which elicited his threatened resignation earlier in the year. The Premier is still determined to remain master in his own house and will not tolerate the hostile criticism to which he is being subjected by Tory critics, and will demand assurances that he will not be stabbed in the back at the forthcoming annual meetings. There must be no talk of a vote of censure or any attack in the House of Commons on his Near Eastern policy. Mr. Lloyd George is very angry and will display his anger in some dramatic way. ‘ He may make a sudden appeal to the country, dragging the Coalition with him willy nilly before the Tories have time to escape from the ruins Alternatively, he migh" retire in disgust for a time in which to meditate upon some plan of action, which is sure to be distasteful to some of his present colleagues. The Westminster Gazette says that •Mr. Bonar Law is being invited to 1 the Tories, apart from the Coalition. IJe is not prepared to make a hostile move against Mr. Lloyd George, but will use his influence to save the Coalition. A FRENCH VIEW. Paris, Oct. 11. A writer in the Petit Parisian, referring to the demand for Mr. Lloyd Georges retirement, say* that, according to the best judges of English political custom. Mr. Lloyd George should have resigned in February ‘or March. The close of the Geneva Conference was the turning point. ? The Russians were the chief cause of his set-back. At present h* is like a watch with a broken spring. There is, however, no certainty that he will hearken to the cry for his retirement. If he fell he would only fall for a while.