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Show LLOYD GEORGE CREATES DOUBT ;WiU Premier Resign or Risk An Election, All London Asks By DAVID M. CHURCH international News Service) LONDON. Oct. 14 Premier David Uo.ul George, in ;i brilliant speech before the Reform club af Manchester Manches-ter this afternooD, defended the British Brit-ish near east policy as one which had prevented another world var, and placed his own political future In tho hands, of the British people. The premier left it in doubt as to whether he will resign immediately. But he made it plain that he is going to stand or fall upon the present pol-j icies of his coalition government. 1 The British political drama, mark ing the climax has begun to unfold, but there is considerable disappointment disappoint-ment tonight over the premier's failure fail-ure fo make it absolu'ely plain what his plans are for the Immediate future. fu-ture. "I cast myself upon the people; they wfll see fair play," was the perora tion. Previously in his address the premier pre-mier had Intimated that he was ready to retire if the public wished if. He said he did not wish to retain office under adverse circumstances. There were strong Indications that the pre-1 mier plans to call a general election beiore the end of the y-ar, but wheth- er the premier will be persuaded to retain re-tain office in tho meanwhile la prob-l lematlcal. NEWSPAPER COMMENT "Reynolds' Newspaper." owned by Lord Dalsiel, a closn confidant of Pre-! mier Lloyd George, will say on Sunday. Sun-day. "Tho Manchester speech was a feeler feel-er to determine whether Lloyd George' should reeign or Is sufficiently strong! to go before the country on his present pres-ent popularit " "Dissolution of parliament Is schod-1 uled for next week and an election will be held early in November," the Sunday Times will say tomorrow The Sunday ubbc-rver will say: "The premier left the way open to i The "swan song" tono of the speech may mean that Lloyd George has decided de-cided to resign and let Austen Cham oerlaln (a Unionist) struggle with the government " Emphatic stress was laid by the premier pre-mier od defense of the British policy in the near east. He spoke of tho grave danger of war, of the necessity of keeping open the Turkish Btraits; of the menace of the invasion of souiheastern European countries by the Turks who might convert Thrace into a .shambles of bloodshed. Then he dramatically declared that war has been averted and that the British policy of peace had arisen triumphant tri-umphant above the perils of conflict. WAITS FOR REACTION It seeing likely to political observers that the premier will not make another an-other move in the political arena until un-til ho oeeB what reaction is coming from the public and especially from his critics. It is a curious anomah of politics that Tories, the supporters of the idea of monarchlstic power, are lined up against Lolyd George with tho Laborites, exponents of socialism in its various degrees of radicalism. Among the various interpretations put upon the Manchester speech, the two that Btood out moat prominently were: 1. Lloyd George may ask King George to dissolve parliament, calling a general election. 2. I.feyd George may resign his premiership pre-miership at once without an election, allowing the conservations (Tories)) to uttempt to carry on the government in the hope that they will not succeed suc-ceed and will find it necessary to call hliu (Lloyd George) back to power. |