"STOP THIS FOOLING"
[To the Editor of the SVECTAT011.] Sin,- -When the Right Honourable Winston Churchill, M.P., was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer the misgivings of a large number of Conservatives throughout the country, including members of the Howie of Commons, were somewhat mollified by the expectation that his well-known flair for sensationalism would probably induce him to do something of a drastic nature in the direction or bringing about a reduc- tion of expenditure in Government Departments—such a reduction as would enable him to lighten that crushing burden of taxation Which for so many years has been borne with the complacency and fortitude that none but "a nation of asses" is capable of, but has now become imperative. It was felt, too, that the many hundreds of millions owing to us by our principal Allies in the War would no longer be allowed to escape an unsentimental effort to collect them, and that possibly many or us who mistrusted the wisdom of the appointment of this weathercock politician to high office in a Conservative Govern- ment would have good reason to own ourselves wrong. Now we know how welh-founded our misgivings were, and that nothing more substantial than "the glib tongue and the big cheek" is to be expected from the present guardian of the Fliblic purse. It is idle for Mr. Churchill to proclaim that his efforts at reducing the estimates were frustrated over and over again by-opposition of so resolute a character that he had to surrender to it. That is tantamount to an admission that he is unquali- fied- by temperament to occupy his position ; that he is, in fact, a weakling.-
- A Chancellor of the Exchequer with the will and the deter- mination to set his face against all expenditure that is not imperative, finding himself faced with opposition of such a character, is false both to the country and to himself if he yields to it. He has no right whatsoever to cling to office. His clear duty is to resign and make public the reason for his action. Imagine what any one of the great Chancellors of the past—Gladstone, for instance—would have done in such circumstances, with the country in its present plight ! But they were not" professional politicians" in the sense that has made the term so opprobrious in these days.
One thing is very certain ; the public—and I come in close contact with large numbers of men and women of all classes and of all shades of political opinion in different parts of the country--are in a resentful mood, and will not much longer tolerate the present state of affairs. If the Government is wise it will " stop this fooling" without delay.—! am, Sir, &C., 18 Sussex Place, Regent's Pail:. THONIAS Pot.sox.
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