30 AUGUST 1924, Page 2

The .Labout Party agents in the country, as we read

in the–Westminster- Gazette of Wednesday, have been- warned to bereadY for. a Possible General Election in the, first week of December. We wish we could think that; local Unionist organizations have the enthusiasm and; the power of .hard work which is. apparent in the Labour. organizations throughout the-country. The local Labotir, bodies 'get an enormous- amount of voluntary work done, which, after all, is always work of the best quality, and, they are particularly good at raising, funds locally', instead of appealing, as • the older parties do, to head-, quarters. The reasons, given in the Westminster Gazette for having a General Election in December instead of after the next -Budget, as-Mr: Snowden wished, are that Mr. Snowden's differences with the Prime Minister, represent diVergent principles which promise later to split the Labour Party... The. differences concern the Government's, policy with- regard to both Germany and Rirssiat• As -we have pointed out in our first leading article, fears about the industrial results of the - Dawes,' scheme are already agitating Labour in various fields.; The Prime Minister has promised to set up a Special Committee to-advise him haw to safeguard our-trade from threatened European treaties or combinations, and it is obvious that the-whole-issue-of Free Trade versus-Protee-- tion may be raised.

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