The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1922. "AMELIORATIVE STATESMANSHIP.”

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1922. "AMELIORATIVE STATESMANSHIP.”

Tn the business manifesto recently issued by a number of prominent men in Britain, appealing for support for Mr. Lloyd George, and his followers, “on the ground that his policy is one of the chief causes of our gradual emergence from post-war difficulties,” much stress is laid on the fact that Mr. Lloyd George { ‘is best fitted to hold the balance between Capital and Labor, as he had a record for ameliorative statesmanship unexampled here (in Britain) or in any other country.” It is not possible to pay a higher tribute than this to any man. There is something exceptionally superlative about an ameliorative statesman, conveying as the term does a word picture of a universal benefactor to humanity in all that.counts for social, domestic, political and international betterment on sound principles and durable foundations. The same danger which threatens Britain is also present, though to a less extent, in New Zealand. The nature of this danger was clearly stated by Mr. Lloyd George last week, when speaking at Haverford West. “Britain,” said the ex-Premier, “is menaced from within by the same thing which reduced Russia to famine and want, and, unless arrested at the start, the whole fabric of our commerce, trade and prosperity will come down, and mighty Britain, whose name rings round the earth, will become a poor, crawling thing, with her (cade, commerce and financial, supremacy all gone.” After begging Laborites to reconsider their ideas, “which do not come from trades unionists, but from the party's theorists and so-called in le’lectuals. Mr. Lloyd George asserted that “the sooner Labor gets rid of her intellectuals, the better it will be for Labor and trades unionism,” as their ideas cannot win, for the commonsense workers are against them throughout the land. Under such I circumstances it, is not surprising that the business manifesto already referred to was issued by those who had the best of all rer.sons for knowing that Mr. Lloyd George was best fitted to hold the balance of power between Capital and Labor, namely, because his ameliorative statesmanship was unparalleled in any country. On the one hand stands a menace to Britain’s trade, commerce, and financial supremacy, and on the other hand there is available to checkmate these destructive forces the man of the hourt whose policy was one of the chief causes of Britain’s emergence from her post-war difficulties. Allowing for the difference of degree, there is a striking analogy between the Labor menace in Britain and in New Zealand, while both countries possess an outstanding ameliorative statesman perfectly able to combat the menace, if only the people will accord him the requisite support and backing. The

danger in Britain is that both the Conservative “do nothing” policy and extreme Labor’s “do everything” policy would be equally disastrous, and the people of the Dominion may well take heed that in the coming general election their imperative duty is to make sure that under no circumstances shall the extremists be allowed to even come within a measurable distance of obtaining the balance of power. In both Britain and New Zealand there is a most urgent need for a. strong, sane constitutional government. It has to be remembered that the Dominion is now a partner in that mighty Empire “whose name rings round the earth,” and should therefore join hdart and soul with the Motherland in resisting the forces of disruption and internal chaos. Happily there are significant indications that sane Labor is disposed to cut adrift from the dictation of the extremists. If they desire freedom and prosperity they will hasten the cleavage and enlist the support of all true citizens. If only they would be inspired with the desire to emulate in their sphere the example of Mr. Lloyd George and become “ameliorative Laborites,” then they would inaugurate a. new era for humanity in which the betterment of conditions would be the outstanding feature. The attempt is well worthy of a trial.