17 NOVEMBER 1923, Page 1

The newspapers of Thursday morning, which are the latest we

have seen before going to press, state that Mr. Baldwin's negotiations with Lord Birkenhead have broken down and that there is no question of Lord Birkenhead joining the Government. There are rumours that several of Mr. Baldwin's colleagues objected to the provisional invitation which had been given to Lord Birkenhead. We arc bound to say that we sympathize with them. It is regrettable, if true, that Mr. Austen Chamberlain stands or falls with Lord Birkenhead, but if that is Mr. Chamberlain's position it must be accepted.