OCR Text |
Show A S 0 LI Til RESIGNS SEAT US PREMIER Andrew Bonar Law, the Unionist Leader, Summoned Sum-moned to Palace Immediately Imme-diately and Is Asked by King George to Become Be-come the New Prime Minister. ACTION FOLLOWS AN EXCITING DAY Resignation Believed to Have Resulted From Insistence of Lloyd-George Lloyd-George Faction That Premier Deliver Direction Di-rection of Affairs Into Cabinet's Hands. LONDON, Dec. 5, 11:15 p. m. The government crisis found a solution tonight, to-night, which up to tho hour of its an-? an-? nouncement "was considered the least """A probable of practical alternatives. Herbert Her-bert H. Asquith resignod the premiership, premier-ship, which ho has held through eight stormy years of domestic and foreign history. The unionist lender, Andrew Bonar Law, was summoned to tho palace immediately after Mr. Asquith had departed, de-parted, and the king offered him the prime minister 's commission, which ho had just accepted from Mr. Asquith 'a hands. No announcement regarding Air. Bonar Bo-nar Law 's decision has been made, and there are some doubts whether he will accept the heavy responsibility. If he declines, it is considered certain that the honor will fall to David Lloyd-George. Lloyd-George. The continuation of the coalition coali-tion cabinet, with some changes in its membership and the speeding up of the war management, will be the policy in cither event. Day of Excitement. The premier 's, decision to resign and advipe the king to summon Andrew Bonar Law to form a cabinot was taken after a day of extraordinary political excitement and activity. There were constant comings and goings of tho political po-litical lead ere between Downing street and the various government departments. depart-ments. Mr. Asquith met several union-' union-' ist leaders in consultation, including Earl Curzon, Lord Cecil and the Earl of Derby. Noticeable absentees from this conference con-ference were A. J. Balfour, who is ill; Andrew Bonar Law, J. Austen ChaJiiber-lain ChaJiiber-lain and AValter Hume Long. Reasons Not Known. , Later in the afternoon the premier k met his supporters, including A iscount Crey, Lewis Harcourt, Kdwin 8. Mon-! Mon-! tague, the Marquis of Crewe, Reginald ; McKonna, Walter Kuneiman, Lord Buck- master, H. Samuel, Lord Reading and Arthur Henderson. Tho meeting lasted for more than an hour, and it is supposed sup-posed that Mr. Asquith explained that he was faced by almost insuperable obstacles ob-stacles to the reconciliation of the conflicting con-flicting interests, and intended to tender his resignation. Almost immediately the premier drove to the palace and had Rn audience with the king. I It now is remarked that when Mr. Asquith was asked in the house of commons com-mons yesterday if a food dictator had been appointed, he replied sharply: "I don't like a food dictator." May Call Election. There is much talk tonight of the Eossibilitics of a general election. Mr. onar Law would first form a cabinet, I if he takes the office, as it is necessary I that the government be carried on, and . then appeal to the electors for a ratifi cation of his administration. There is strong opposition, however. J to any political campaign which must i necessarily divert the country 's ener- j gies from the war work while it lasted. and the new government may decide to i go ahead with the approval of the house I of commons onlv and not of the voters. The part David IJoyri-Oeorce Is playing play-ing In the crisis was demonstrated plainly toiiay rv the fact that he remained In his of'ire while the premier fun f erred sepa-ratelv sepa-ratelv with the libera and conservative members of the cabinet. Mr. I.ioyd-ileorpe's I.ioyd-ileorpe's polh-y had supporters In both ramps. His strongest liberal friend. Ird J Keadinc. carried messaces between the premier's council and Mr. Llo .d -George's desk. T It was sijmificant to onlookers also that (Continued on Pafe Poor.) ANDREW BONAR LAW, ' who has been sum-:".-.cr.ed Ly King George to form new British ministry. ; hi . - ' I ill F v X -4V "I ASQU1TH RES1GHS SEAT US PREMIER (Continued from Page One.) Mr. Bonar Law refrained from attending the conservatives meeting with Mr. As-quith. As-quith. and Lord Curzon hastened to report re-port to him at the colonial office immediately imme-diately the conference was ended. Action Big Surprise. Mr. Asquith's retirement lias taken the politicians so hy surprise that they are not. yet ready to predict the results. The possibility that Mr. Asquith will consent to remain in the cabinet with Mr. Bonar Law taking: the post of lord high chancellor, chan-cellor, in which it has long been considered consid-ered he might find a congenial berth, is discussed. Herhert Samuel's promotion from the home secretaryship to Reginald McKen-na's McKen-na's position at the treasury also is predicted, pre-dicted, while acceptance of the resignations resigna-tions of Viscount Grey and A. ,1. Balfour, which some of the papers backing Mr. Lloyd-George are demanding, is less likely like-ly under Mr. Bonar Law's regime than if Mr. Lloyd-George came into power.! The labor party certainly will hold a more important part In any new cabinet than it has been filling in the old. The more sensational London papers have enjoyed three or four days of almost frenzied excitement, with demands and denunciations, often in language stronger than the dignity of British politics has permitted in the memory of the present generation. The crucial events in Rumania Ru-mania and Greece have been given a secondary sec-ondary place, except as they were used as a basis for attacks on the ministers. "The strong man wins." was the poster of the last edition of the Evening News, which Is Mr. Lloyd -George's organ, and "Asquith stands firm" was the placard of the Liberal Star. NOR THCLIFFE IS MENTIONED FOR WAR MINISTER LONDON. rec. 6. 12:32 a. m. The influence in-fluence Lord Xorthcliffe wielded in bringing bring-ing about the crisis undoubtedly was one of the most important factors in this chapter of history. Lxrd NorthcJiffe and Mr. Lloyd-George formed an alliance since the beginning of the war. The , Xorthcliffe group of newspapers have for 1 some time put forward Mr. Lloyd-George j as "the strong man" the country needed i and they appeared to he co-operating j with him and in his confidence since his rebellion against the cabinet's methods was launched last week. Is Called "Dictator." One of the current reports has been that a plan was on foot to make Mr. Lloyd-George premier, with Lord Xorthcliffe Xorth-cliffe his war minister. Between the Xorthcliffe press and the London Liberal papers a burninc feud exists. Editor Gardiner of the Dally News, in an article ! describing Lord Xorthcliffe as a would-be j dictator, said: "If the present government falls It will fall because Lord Xorthcliffe decreed that it should fall." The editorial added that any new government gov-ernment "would have to include Lord Xorthcliffe and accept his dictatorship or it would suffer the fate of its predecessor." prede-cessor." This prediction could not apply to Bonar Law, who has not commanded com-manded the approval of a section of his own party's press, partly because they considered him too faithful a supporter of Mr. Asquith in the coalition cabinet. Not Spectacular. Xo more unspectacular man than Andrew An-drew Bonar Law has ever held tlie foremost fore-most place in the British government. Me commands little of the orator's arts. His training lias been more in business than in politics and his personality and methods meth-ods are more those of the solid business man than the professional man. The press association suggests that It Is Possible for Bonar Law to form a Unionist ministry, with Mr. Lloyd-George included, for which it could find justifi-rition justifi-rition in the fact that the Unionists supported sup-ported a purely Liberal trovernment during dur-ing tlie first stage of tlie war. SEES OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED NEW GOVERNMENT LONDON. Dec. P. The Daily News' parliamentary correspondent expresses the belief that it will be impossible to form another coalition cabinet. He 'says Sir ! TCd ward Carson and Mr. Lloyd -George j would both serve tinker Bonar Law's pre-i pre-i miershlp. but that it is understood the j Liberal ministers who helond to the ex-! ex-! piring coalition ministry would not serve i without Mr. Asquith. ! The correspondent adds that the posi- I tion of tlie laborites has not yet been defined, de-fined, but that they would be definitely hostile to a ministry of which Mr. Lioyd- , George was the premier. The correspondent corre-spondent says he believes the rank and file of the Liberals are willing for a time j to support BonaT Law. |