The Cabinet Crisis

JUDGING from the latest Reuter telegrams, the political crisis caused by Mr. Lloyd George’s threat of resignation, appears to have been settled. For our part we never attached any importance to the sensational telegrams that had for the last few days been pouring in from England. Mr. Lloyd George has not shown himself, specially since the day, when he climbed to the Premiership over the head of his late chief, to be so indifferent to power so as to make people believe that he would part with it at the first moment when there was an apparent revolt against his authority on the part of a section of his following. Secondly, whatever chances there might have been of the threat being taken seriously disappeared when it came to be known that even Unionist leaders without exception wanted him to remain Premier. Thirdly and lastly to us in India it is not a matter of concern, especially after his recent speech, whether Mr. Lloyd George remains Premier or is succeeded by a Unionist. We can discover no difference between his policy and that likely to be followed by a Unionist leader who is not absolutely lost to all sense of expediency and of the fitness of things. Indeed barring a few nobodies like Lord Sydenham and Sir Michael O’Dwyer, all sections of British opinion with the exception of Labour seem to be both in favour of trying the Reforms, and of not trying them in the way India herself desires. For the rest, history shows that these Liberal politicians are always better and more truly Liberal in opposition than they are in office. It is unlikely that Mr. Lloyd George as leader of an Opposition will advocate for India that measure of justice and freedom which Mr. Lloyd George as head of the Government has refused to concede to her.