(1) Lord Birkenhead on the Property of Ex-Enemy Subjects. "What is the course that has been adopted? It is the establishment of a clearing house of the kind referred to and the prohibition of the nationals of both sides to make private liquidation of their property. The liquidation will be made by public authority, and as a necessary step in this process it is provided that the German nation and the other enemy nations shall make compensation to its nationale for such property as they lose in this country. The German Government, in offering their observations upon the draft Treaty of Peace presented to them, acknow ledged most plainly-and it was necessary they should this primary obligation.... Viscount. Haldane has suggested that it might be possible, without impairing the fabric of the Treaty, to give the Custodian some discretion which could be exercised in very exceptional cases which might somewhat mitigate the hardship of those cases. The suggestion is certainly one that should be most attentively examined, and I will myself undertake to see that it is so examined. If it is a course which can be adopted without impairing the main scheme and disturbing its efficiency, it will be agreeable to any humane person to assist in a case where the system has unhappily pressed with unusual weight."—(House of Lords, June 9th, 1920.) (2) Mr. Lloyd George on the Free Churches and Politics. "The divisions in the Free Churches are deep, and I fear in some respects threaten to be permanent. Apart altogether from the unfortunate division in the Liberal Party, the phenomenal rise of the Labour Party is from this point of view a disturbing element. Large masses of the members of our Churches now belong to that party. It is essential that in these conditions we should see to it that the Free Churches are not torn and paralyzed by bitter feuds, and the only way to avert it is by all sections displaying a spirit of tolerance, forbearance, charity, towards each other."-(Pwllheli, June 9th, 1920.) (3) Sir John Simon on Liberals and the Coalition. 66 Politics to-day, so far as our Government was concerned, was a record of unblushing compromise on any and every subject. It was plain that what Liberals were asked to do in order to support the Coalition was to follow without question the lead of that very brilliant, very versatile, but very wayward gentleman to whom this country owed a great deal, beyond all question, but who could not, even with all his great powers, perform the conjuring trick of making a Liberal and a Tory indistinguishable creatures."(Cleckheaton, June 12th, 1920.) And on Nationalization of Railways. "Yesterday I read a statement that the Government is not going to nationalize the railways, and I am bound to say, if it has come to that conclusion, it has come to the right conclusion. I do not think experience has gone to show that we in this country have reached the position that unlimited Government management and unrestricted bureaucratic administration are blessings to the people of the country. We should consider each case on its merits, and see whether or not the clear disadvantages of more complete Government control are overweighed by the necessity of securing more direct State intervention in industrial affairs."-(Cleckheaton, June 12th, 1920.) 1920. June 9.-House of Lords. Air Navigation Bill— Committee. Property of Ex-Enemy Subjects-Statement by (1) Lord Birkenhead. House of Commons. Agriculture Bill read a second time. Speeches by Mr. Lambert, Mr. Pretyman, and Sir A. Griffith-Bos cawen. (2) Mr. Lloyd George at Pwllheli on Free Churches and Politics. Mr. Chamberlain at Birmingham on the Coalition. 10.-House of Lords. Serbian Troops in MontenegroStatement by Lord Curzon. Census Bill read a second time. Representation of the People (No. 2). House of Commons. Tithe Rent Bill-Report Imperial War Museum Bill read a third Employment of Women and Children Mr. Bonar Law at Birmingham on the Coalition, National Unionist Association Annual Conference at Birmingham: 11.-House of Commons. Veterinary Surgeons Act Amendment Bill read a third time. National Unionist Association at Birmingham. 12.-(3) Sir John Simon at Cleckheaton on the Coalition and on Nationalization. 14.-House of Commons. Government of Ireland Mr. McKenna at the Savoy Hotel on Over Taxation Dr. Macnamara at Birmingham on Trade Unions 15.-House of Lords. Juvenile Courts (Metropolis) Bill read a second time. (1) Sir Donald Maclean on the House of Commons and Economy. Notwithstanding very large decreases in the Army and Navy, there has been no real corresponding decrease in the Estimates for these Services. The Minister for Munitions recently submitted estimates and introduced them as credit estimates, on the ground that the results of the proceeds of the sale of war material were in excess of the cost of running the Department. After some discussion they succeeded in getting the estimates withdrawn, but only because the Minister himself confessed that it was in the mind of the Government to wind up the Department in July, and yet they deliberately sought to get from the House of Commons the cost of a year's administration on its present basis. A similar thing happened in the Naval Estimates in connection with the Fleet Reserve, although an explanatory note in a Memorandum said that the whole of that branch of the Service was under the consideration of a Committee, and that no scheme had yet been evolved. Yet they asked for the full vote. The demand broke down by its own obvious absurdity. The remedy for extravagance should be in the House itself, but it was not. During the discussions on the two instances he had given, at no time did the members present exceed twenty-five, and sometimes the number fell to five, six, or seven." -(London, June 16th, 1920.) (2) Mr. Lloyd George on International Police. "I do not in the least challenge the International Police Force as a possible ideal. I am quite sure that it is not a practicable one now. There are two supreme difficulties in the way of bringing the League into full operation now. The first is that all the Powers that have available forces are so absorbed in other duties cast upon them by the war, that they cannot support the decisions of the League. But the second is that the Power which has the means, which has the freedom from entanglement, and which seemed to us at one moment to have all the enthusiasm, has withdrawn."-(10, Downing Street, June 16th, 1920.) And on America and the League of Nations. "I believe the withdrawal of America from apparent adhesion to the League is a temporary one. I think that when America comes in, it may involve some change at any rate in the form of the Covenant. It is quite possible it might be a change for the better. But it would be idle now to enter into any discussion with America.”—(10, Downing Street, June 16th, 1920.) (3) Mr. Asquith on the Liberal Party. "I am not going to say more than a few words about the speculations and movements which have, during the last few weeks, occupied the forefront of the political stage in regard to the future prospects and policy of the Liberal Party. It is enough for me-and, I think, for most Liberals to know that during that time every representative and responsible Liberal organisation, central or local, throughout Great Britain has with practical unanimity declined the invitation put forward on high authority, and with many allurements of rhetoric and sophistry, that we should sacrifice our independent existence and prepare the road for a new ideal; that, though not, perhaps, immediately, but step by step, surely and finally, we should be absorbed in the ranks of our hereditary opponents. Liberalism repudiates that invitation. Liberalism, with its great traditions of the past, with its high ideals in the present, with (as I believe) a richer promise of vitality and public usefulness than it has ever yet attained in the future-Liberalism means to remain what it has always been-the standard-bearer and champion of the causes of progress in this country."-(Portsmouth, June 18th, 1920.) 1920. mittee June 15.-House of Commons. Agriculture Bill-ComCorn Production Expenses. Financial Resolution. Speeches by Sir A. Griffith-Boscawen, Mr. Hogge, and Mr. Acland. Government of Ireland Bill-Committee. 16.-House of Lords. of Lords. Additional Judges Lord House of Commons. Nauru Island Agreement Bill read a second time by 217 to 77 (majority 140). Speeches (on the Mandatė question) by Col. Leslie Wilson, Lord R. Cecil, Mr. Asquith, Mr. Bonar Law, and Sir D. Maclean. Additional Judges-Sir Gordon Hewart's motion carried by 158 to 58 (majority 100). Speech by Sir D. Maclean. (1) Sir D. Maclean at Essex Hall on Public Economy. League to Abolish War Deputation to (2) Mr. 17.-House of Lords. Imperial Relations Lord Charnwood's motion. Speech by Lord Milner, House of Commons. Supply-League of Nations Vote. Barnes, Mr. Clynes, and Lord R. Cecil. Lord Lee at Harpenden on Guaranteed Corn Prices. Lord Grey at Stratford on the League of Nations. Nelson and Colne By-Election consequent on the resignation of Capt. A. Smith (Lab.) (Result declared June 30th. See page 335.) 18.-House of Commons. Shops (Early Closing) Bill-Report. (3) Mr. Asquith at Portsmouth on the Ministry of Transport on the Home Rule Bill, on M. Krassin's visit, and on Government Waste. Railway Union Deputation to Mr. Lloyd George on Irish Troubles and a Labour Truce. (See page 336.) (1) MR. ASQUITH ON FINANCE. National Debt: The Great Liberal Example. "The financial and economic problem is at the root of all our difficulties, both domestic and international. When I was Chancellor of the Exchequer, now nearly 15 years ago, I was faced with the necessity of making provision for the reduction and ultimate repayment of the additional debt which we had incurred in the prosecution of the South African war. Although I am glad to say we were able to remit taxation on a large scale, yet we made it our first duty, and the Liberal Government of that day effectively discharged it, to reduce rapidly and effectively the burden of the debt. We remitted taxation and reduced debt on a scale never before attempted."-(Newport, June 19th, 1920.) National Debt To-day: The Government "Inadequate." "Our debt to-day is very nearly 8,000 millions. The Chancellor of the Exchequer to-day is taking out of the pockets of the taxpayers of the country the sum of over 1,000 millions, and he cannot pay his way. The yawning hiatus between what you receive from taxation and what you are expending is actually being met to a very large extent by the realization of war assets. That is not sound finance. You may ransack all the innumerable hypothetical conjectural proposals which financial experts and financial cranks put forward for raising revenue; you will never advance an inch on the road until you attack the real evil at its source and cut down your expenditure, and make it in accordance with your means. The Chancellor of the Exchequer says to us, if we criticize his expenditure, Show me how I am to reduce it.' The proper answer to that is, as I have always said, 'Do it for yourself. What are you there for if you cannot do it? If it is beyond the art and resources of your statesmanship and that of your colleagues, then make way for somebody who can.' It is puerile, it is trifling with the situation and with the responsibilities of Government to try and throw on the shoulders of the House of Commons and on men who, from the necessities of the case, do not possess inside knowledge or the expert assistance which is always at the disposal of the Government, to say from what quarters the large reductions are to be made. A Government which cannot discharge that elementary duty is, by its own profession, inadequate for the needs and responsibilities imposed upon it.”—(Newport, June 19th, 1920.) “Unnecessary Departments on an Exaggerated Scale." A great part of these enormous increases in our national expenditure is due to the creation of unnecessary departments on an exaggerated scale. I agree that it is desirable to associate with the Government and the administration of the country the active co-operation of men of business experience; but what we have is the importation of costly amateurs at the expense and to the supercession of our own well-trained Civil servants. I agree that there are a large number of routine duties which the Ministry of Transport has performed with great efficiency, but they could all be performed, until this unnecessary new creation was brought about, by a branch department of the Board of Trade manned by those moderately, and, if you like, ill-paid Civil servants and without the unnecessary assistance of this importation of expensive experts from outside. It is an illustration of a studied policy that is being pursued by the present administration of multiplying recklessly, improvidently, without any calculation as to the necessities of the case or as to the exigencies of the country, a cumbrous autocratic machinery to perform duties which could be performed more cheaply and efficiently before. Every department is a law to itself.-(Newport, June 19th, 1920.) |