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Show i. 4 - r Battle for Leadership I 4 t TAKING an unbiased viewpoint of the British political situation, and judging wholly from the rather complex reports cabled from London, the contest has settled down to one of leadership between former Premier Lloyd George and Pre-"inier Pre-"inier Bonar Law. ", Judging from these same reports, the prevailing prevail-ing political contest in England bears a striking .Similarity, in some respects, to that which pre-; pre-; vailed in the United States a few years ago, when Jhs hii Theodore Roosevc'.i became the L-adcr 'jDf the socalled Progressive branch of the Republican Republi-can party. '! Bonar Law, who h,as been selected as leader y a caucus of Unionists, and has formally accepted ac-cepted ihe premiership, is quoted as having declared de-clared in a speech to fellow partisans a few days ago that it was more important to keep the party together than to win the next election, while Uoyd George virtually ha3 declared that the interests in-terests of the country are far greater than the, Success of any party. Taking this stand, the former for-mer premier virtually has placed himself at th.' head of what promises to develop into a Progressive Pro-gressive party. : The directly opposite positions taken by the two .leaders probably will cause each to lose some old friends and political adherents and also to gain pew ones, with the result that the outcome of the election will be rendered as uncertain as was the ,cjse when the third major party was on the national na-tional ballot In the United States. While there Is nothing In the situation that .should cause any undue excitement on this side "of the Atlantic, is the friendly relationship between be-tween Great Britain and America will not be affected In the slightest degree by the result of .the contest, the progress of the political fight will be watched with interest. Many Americans have become admirers of Lloyd George because of the fact that he made England more democratic. Much Interest also will be taken in the new premier because of the fact that he was born on this side of the Atlantic, being a native of Canada, and thus increasing the Standing of America's neighbor to the north as a part of the British empire. |