WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1931.
LIBERAL LEADERS
EXPLAIN
Inner History of the
National Crisis.
WE ACTED FOR NATION.”
Sir Herbert Samuel's Disclosures.
The Marquis of Reading presided
In opening the proceedings, Lords Reading expressed regret that Mr. Lloyd George, "the tried veteran," an a consequence of his indisposi tion, had been unable to take part
ment.
|
It had been possible to have con- | tion. .sultations with Mr. Lloyd George, hat of a limitel character. "I am sure," added Lord Reading, "you would like to know that he is in complete accord with what is being done. Hear, hear.) I think he must feel at this moment; even though he is still suffering from the operation, that the scent of battle, makes him long to be and doing." (Laughter.).
Simon:
Run Upon The Country.
once
An
THE
sacrifices must be equitably dis tributed over the community (Cheers) I do not place thost
1
CHINA
GROSERAN
liament would not be able to ac- vinced that the Liberal Parliamen». cept them.
tary party will act with unity and "We stated. furthermore, that in with resolution.
as two points; I state those as our view the situation could not "Unpopularity there will be for one point.
be allowed to drift until Parlia- all those who support measures of ment met after some two or three retrenchment, which are necessarl- weeks, and, indeed, that the situa- ly unpalatable. Thore is, however, tion was so serious that a solution no unpopularity so great or so well could not be delayed even over the deserved as that which falls upon week-end,
public men when the nation aus-
"Fourthly, the question of the enactment of a tariff was tacitly left in the back-ground.
.
"Fifthly, that no disservice to the country could be greater thanj to have an immediate General
The nation in those days waspects that they are afraid to face Election. (Hear, hear.)
unaware of what the position was, unpopularity when the national in- "All those points have been but we were aware and we had to terest requires it. (Cheers.) agreed throughout.
act on behalf of the nation. There- "We Liberals, then, must deliber- fore, willout consideration of party ate as to our "The Prime Minister and the interests, without, indeed, consider being to co-operate in the success- course, our object Chancellor of the Exchequer ining at all what the ulterior con-ful accomplishment of the task im-i dicated to us what their proposals sequences might possibly be, we mediately in hand, while maintain- with regard to economies were like saw that we had the clear and ing those political ideas of which y to be. Sir Donald and I regard- simple duty of helping to save the we are the guardians and ed them as in the main a bold and situation as it was on that day.
which we are convinced are necessary to courageous scheme.
Mr. MacDonald's Noble Part. the well-being of the people." Sir Herbert, welcomed the prepressed; but after consideration days, has played a noble part, Mr.
"We were not unfavourably im "There is one man who, in these (Loud cheers.) at the Liberal party meeting held sence of Lord Grey, "one of the and consultation with others we Ramsay MacDonald. (Loud cheers.)
The King's Example. at the National Liberal Club on great men of the Empire,"
Sir Donald Maclean' said that ho August 28.
galt on the platform at a Liberal thought that the time
had come What the effect might be upon his also would like to pay tribute to meeting.
when some diminution must impersonal position he equid not fore-the part which the Prime Minister Sir Herbert went on to relate the Deratively be made in the scale of see and did not stay 'to consider; and Mr. Snowden had ench played. course of events, describing how hej
the Unemployment allowances. he saw his duty as Prime Minister "As the drama developed from was summoned to London by "When the Royal Commission on of Britain and he fulfilled it. day to day we saw their own posi- urgent telegram on August 12, and Unemployment made its report all (Cheers.)
tion in their party rapidly disap- In the discussions leading to the was informed by the Prime Minis-parties were unwilling to make any "I think, also, a tribute should pearing, and, except for touches of formation of the National Govern-ter of the facts of the situation and such reduction--the Conservatives be paid to Mr. Snowden (cheers) emotion and natural expressions of the measures then under considera as much as ourselves or the Labour-and to the few of their colleagues their feeling from time to time, party. No one of the three parties-strangely few-who have taken particularly to us two, there was "The Budgetary position," went at that time suggested that the ra- the right course.
not the slightest wavering that 1 an Sir Herbert, "had become very commendations of the Royal Com- "We think also that we' should could detect in their high schsc grave on account of the shrinkage mission on Unemployment should express the gratitude that is pro- of responsibility to the country of the normal revenue.
The pub-
be applied then, or, indeed, any perly entertained towards Mr.rst. lication of the May Report, indicat- Part of their recommendations in Baldwin. (Cheers.) If he had "I would also like to say that ing a very large deficit in the next that direction: but we were most claimed, as he might have claimed, our relations with the Conserva- year, and the fact that the world reluctant to plunge into still deeper the succession to the Premiership; tive leaders were of the most cor- know that we were borrowing a distress those on whom the brunt if he had raised, as he might have dial description, and We were million pounds a week for the pur- of the present economic depression raised, any controversial political grateful to them for the fact that up poses of the Unemployment Fund has fallen more severely than upon issues, the situation would have from first to last they never raised Phad caused considerable distur. any other class-namely, those who become complicated and difficult. any real controversial issue at all. Sir John Siman's Support. bance of opinion throughout the are themselves out of work. He did none of those things.
"Although I had not the oppor- Lord Reading next read the fol- | world.
i "Now, however, the financial! "He also was prepared complete-tunity of conferring personally lowing message from Sir John
situation of the country is seen tolly to subordinate himself to the re- with the Sovereign. It was a mat- "We are often proud to speak of be even worse than it was then. quirements of the national interest,ter of which Britain can always be "Congratulate all Liberal London as the greatest of financial, We have to take into account also The situation has been handled rightly proud, that in the present friends invited to join the No- centres, and the fact that it is so that in the last two years the cost with great speed-speed was neces- monarch we have an admirable tional Government. I shall, of brings to the country many advan-jof living has fallen by 11 per cent.; Bary. The King came to London example of how our Constitution course, support, any Administratages. It assists commerce, it adds and, furthermore, that if you go on Sunday-(Cheers)—and full re-work. tion which pursues retrenchment to the national wealth, but at the back seven years to 1924 we see cognition may be respectfully "That crisis was tackled and and handles Indian problem with į sume time it brings very great that the unemployment allowances, offered for the invaluable services finally sulved, as far as the determination as well as with responsibilities and some risks. itaking into account on the one hand which his Majesty as constitutional monarch was concerned, with the sympathy."
"Now, if there is any danger of their increase, and, on the other Sovereign has rendered in this same ease and colority as if such The difficulty which was facing a depreciation of sterling, natural- hand, the decrease in the cost of crisis. On Sunday he returned. la crisis as this was an ordinary the country. Lord Reading proceed-ly all foreign depositors in Britain living and the greater purchasing "By Wednesday the new Cabinet week-end event. We may, indeed, be ed. arose not from the political and possibly home depositors too power of a shiling, that unemploy
had heen formed, and had hold its rightly proud when our Constitu- situation but from the financial have to consider what such an ment allowancen in real value first meeting; and I may say that, tion, which stande unapproached Nituation.
eventuality would mean to them. have increased in the seven years so far and I have reason to think in the world, was so wonderfully }
"We all know that if a bank 36 per cent.
it will continue into the future-adaptable and operated as it did." gets the reputation of not being "We felt, further, that
we have found ourselves in com- It was important that Liberald If wol pradently managed and of being were calling upon all the other plete agreement on all points." nhould be under no illusions as to conducted at a loss, and if con- classes in the nation to make sacri templated by the Government, Sir the party.
Regarding the measures now con- the difficulties which confronted fidence is shaken, there will be fees, and heavy sacrifices, that Herbert went on, one anticipation a run upon that bank. There
"They are very great," declared public opinion would resent any 13 may be a run upon a country.
founded that Cabinet Sir Donald. "There is not a man Government which Ministers will be called upon #
to here, either a member of Parlia- made no effective effort to lighten make sacrifices like other people, ment or a candidate, who is not "The greatness of our country this enormous charge for the economic greatness of our ployment, which is the real source
unem (Laughter.)
taking his life in his hands in in common parlancer, has largely country-does not depend solely and
-No Permanent Coalition. butrun the constable-have led to upon the prosperity of its indusfinancial difficulties.
the principal cause of our
undertaking this great national "This new Government so form-job. There will be naturally and, the financial and economic crisis (tries; it does not depend upon our
ed is not intended to be any long-indeed, unscrupulous appeals to with which we are confronted. natural resources; it depends still "So, after consultation with contiuing combination, still less alother interests than that of the
Not The Poor Alone,
Jess upon the greatness of our others, we felt that we must press permanent Coalition. For my own general good," Sponking as a member of the Empire, and least of all upon our not for a reduction of 36 per cent., part, I am not a Conservative and Lord Grey Supports Government, present Government, and with my armed strength.
but for sume. reduction in the gen never will be. The Liberal party Viscount Grey of Fallodon said Liberal colleagues on the platform
offeral scale of unemployment benefit, has maintained, and well maintain that he had come to London in with me who are members also, I Britain, of any country, depends even if it restored the position of ed its Independence. (Hear, order to demonstrate as empha- may say that the one thing you may upon one thing, and that is char- the unemployed to what it was two hear.)
tically as he could his entire determine in your own minds with-acter-(hear, hear), So long as years ago, or in that neighbour; "Thanks to that independence, it agreement with the action which out anxiety, although you may not the world knows that our word is hood.
has during the course of the pre-had been taken by Lord Reading, know the details, is this:
our bond, so long, as the world hns "We Acted For Nation.". sent Parliament been able to inter-Sir Herbert Samuel, Sir Donald faith in the stability of our institu- "On the following day the vene on several occasions usefully Maclean, and other members of tions, then our position can be Cabinet sat to consider these mat and effectively, but never has its the party who had joined the Gov- maintained; but not without those ters,, and in the evening, a resumed independence allowed it to inter-jernment. (Hear, hear.) conditions.
conference was held. Sir Donald vene more usefully and more effaci "I regret immensely that the "The suggestion that all this Maclean and I went to that con-tively than during the last few majority of the Labour Cabinet is a bankers' manoeuvre, an in- ference with the hope that the then days. (Cheers.)
and Labour Party should ignore Lernational scheme to overthrow Government would present ade-i "The now Government has been the logic of facta and ignore the a Labour Government, is, stuff quate mergures to Parliament formed to fulfi one purpose, but fact that the supreme necessity of and nonsense. (Hear, hear.) which we should be able to sup- meanwhile the immediate business the moment is to steer, the ship of "To blame the bankers, would be port.
of the State must be dealt with, State off the rocks, that unless
"do not mean for one moment that the political conditions have not cuntributed and, in fact, caused the financial difficulties 10 Fonte extent, Depression of the world industries, consequent reductions of revenue, and other attendant evila upon expenditure-1 am not referring to any particular Govern ment, but to the expenditure which,
"We will never be parties, and we shall not ask to be parties, to any scheme which will
mean merely economising, at the ex- pense of the poor and which will not mean putting the burden on the rich. (Cheers).
"I would beg you not to be mis- led by anything that you may hear upon that,
The last word that I would say
is, Do not fail to make the country understand what a depreciation of the pound sterling means. There are people, vast numbers unfor- tunately, who labour under the im- pression that if the pound depre- clates it will only hit the bankers, the financiers, the great companies, the capitalists, the rich man, and that it will not affect the poor man, "I assure you that If it does re- ault, those who will suffer most will not be the rich but the poorer classes of the community.
"It will not happen so long as we grapple with the problem at once, 80 long AB We fearlessly, courageously, determinedly, go for "ward, make all the sacrifices that are necessary, and have no fear of the result.
"Sterling will come into its own, and the country will get through this, but only if it realises the ́situation and girds up its loins us
it did in the war." (Cheers.)
COURSE OF THE DISCUSSIONS.
Sir Herbert Samuel's Disclosures. Sir Herbert Samuel then address ad the meeting. He said that there
had been no hesitation on the part | of the leaders of the party, as to the course of action. they should pursue. There had bn occasions in the past been dissensions, but now ho trusted these dissensions ́word at an end..
|
No Bankers Manoeuvre.
"The economic greatness
action of
well
sec-
just an wise as to blame the ther "We found, however, to our sur and in particular the Indian Con- that' is done all their ideals will mometer for the fact that August prise and deeper regret, that, so ference will, of course, proceed on disappear and become impossibic, has been cold. (Laughter.) You far from being willing to make any the linea already laid down, and and that they should take a may rely upon it that I, for one, advance upon the plans that had with no change, I believe, in its tional and party line in this great should not have lent myself to any been sketched out, of the real say-direction or in its policy.
national crisis. such schema 18 a bankersings that had been proposed the "This Government is a temporary "If the financial credit of the manoeuvro for the overthrow of a Cabinet had struck out roughly combination, but, In my own view, country goes, if the currency de Labour Government.
ona-third. We came to the conclu- it cannot abandon the task which preciates, the great position which
it has undertaken until it has seen this country holds among the coun "The plans as they, then stood it well on the way to completion. tries of the world will not be main must be regarded as unaccept- (Cheers,)
tained. This great position as the able;
"British parties are keen and ac. centre of a great Empire will be "They would involve a colossal tive in. their controversies, but woefully impaired." burden of new taxation, and they can be relled upon to show]. Effect on the Dole, when they were announced, to- that they know when conflict must) "Everyone in the country will gether with the decision of the give place to co-opération-at suffor terribly, but as the question other two parties, which could least, they usually know it. It is is being dianuted' solely on the not be withheld from publia very disappointing to find that the ground of what is best for the knowledge, tlio effect must be to official organisation of the Labour poorer classes and for the unem precipitate a disaster;\/
party has not realised that this is ployed in particular, let me just "The pound would 'Immediate such an occasion,
put this point, ly depreciate; prices would soar,
"I do not think that Mr. Philip sion that Snowden is the man to lend him. self to a bankers' manoeuvre to overthrow a Labour Government I think that the whole of the latel Cabinet, which realised the neces sity of effecting very large econo. mies, would not have lent them- selves to such a manoeuvre, and two-thirds of the Cabinet who realised the necessities of larger economies still."
Agréement on Five Paints. Coming to the three-party, con- ference at Downing Street oL August 20, when the Opposition leaders met Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Snowden, Sir Herbert said:
"It at once appeared that on) several points there was completi agreement.
and
Socialisis' Error.,
"If the "corrency is depreciated, Mr. Showdon spoke the other day "The unmployed would suffer | "In taking up a partiaan and not of the probabili bat of the for more in the great increase in class attitude, they will fall into a possibility of a depreciation of the their cost of living than they great error of judgment, the same pound from 20s, to 10s. Now sup- could possibly lose by any reduce mistake which the Trades Union posing anything of that kind hap tions that had been contemplated Council made when they plunged pens, what will be the result? In any quarter,
the country into a General Strike. "First, that borrowing must "After consultation again with The nation will not hays it (hear, wages will bo diminished; in other "The purchasing power, of all cease for purposes of annual ex Mr. Lloyd George and with Lord hear)and when I speak of the words, wages which may now be penditure, and particularly tu. Reading we found it necessary that nation include the whole body of 80s.
may become "worth; only. providing for the needs of the evening to see the Prime Minister the working classes who form the 208., or even 16s., and no Gov Unemployment Fund; again, and, together with the re-majority of our population. ornment can prevent that risa ® In
"Secondly, that the Budget presentatives of the Conservative! "The nation will not support a prices happening. We get the bulk must be made to balance that party, we found it our duty to state reckless or sectional policy, whe-of our food from abroad. It is annual revenue must cover all in very friendly but definite terms thor it is adopted in the supposed not as if you can affect it by con heads of annual expenditure; that the proposals as they thon Interests of the poor.s & trolling prices at home,
Thirdly, that large economies stood must be regarded as inade "In this crisis in the fortunes 'of were necessary, but that the quate; that we felt sure that Parlour country I hope and I am con-
(Continued on Page 3.)
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