Unfortunately for the Nationalisers Mr. LUNN thought it necessary later to
make a blood-and-thunder oration, threatening all sorts of dreadful things
(including a boycott of the newspapers) if the Miners' demands were
refused. Moreover, he made it clear that coal was only a beginning and that
the Labour Party's ultimate objective was nationalisation all round, and
wound up by reminding the House that "we are many and ye are few."
The PRIME MINISTER is not the man either to miss a chance or refuse a
challenge. The tone of his reply was set by Mr. LUNN, not by Mr. BRACE; and
though he had plenty of solid arguments to advance against the motion the
most telling passage in his speech was a quotation from "Comrade TROTSKY,"
showing what Nationalisation had spelt in Soviet Russia--labour
conscription in its most drastic shape. The nation, he declared, that had
fought for liberty throughout the world would stand to the death against
this new bondage.
Result: Amendment defeated by 329 to 64.
_Thursday, February 12th._--This was the first Question-day of the new
Session, and the House was flattered to see Mr. LLOYD GEORGE in his place,
despite the counter-claims of the Peace Conference at St. James's Palace.
Evidently he means this year to "stick to the shop" more closely, in view,
perhaps, of the possible return from Paisley of the old proprietor.
To a Labour Member's complaint that several ex-Generals had been appointed
as divisional Food officers, Mr. MCCURDY replied that no preference was
given to military candidates. But why not? Where will you find more
competent judges of alimentary questions than in the higher ranks of His
Majesty's Forces?
In attacking the provisions of the Peace Treaty with Germany as
"impracticable," Sir DONALD MACLEAN revealed himself as a diligent student
of a recent notorious book. Most of his observations--excepting, perhaps,
the statement that he had "no sentimental tenderness for the Germans"--were
marked with the brand of KEYNES, and his assertion that the utmost Germany
could pay was two thousand millions came bodily from that eminent
statistician. To the same inspiration was possibly due the unhappy
suggestion that our chief Ally was pursuing a policy of revenge.
For this he was promptly pulled up by Lord ROBERT CECIL, who warned him not
to judge the policy of France by the utterances of certain French
newspapers. Lord ROBERT had, however, his own quarrel with the Government,
who, according to his account, had done nothing to set Central Europe on
its legs again, except to send it a certain amount of food--not, one would
would have thought, an altogether bad preliminary.
It was a pity that Mr. BALFOUR had not a stronger indictment to answer, for
he was dialectically at his best. After complimenting the Opposition leader
on his "charming tones and anodyne temper" he proceeded to take up his
challenge--"if I may call it a challenge." If Germany was in doubt as to
the amount she might be called upon to pay, she had her remedy, for the
Peace Treaty especially provided that she might offer a "lump sum." The
list of war-criminals was long, no doubt, but we had limited our own
demands to those who were guilty of gratuitous brutality. As for the
condition of Central Europe, that was not the fault of the Peace Treaty, it
was the fault of the War, and this country had done all it reasonably could
to remedy it.
The Opposition insisted on taking a division, and were beaten by 254 to 60.
So far the "doomed Coalition" seems to be doing rather well.
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