In the House of Lords, on Wednesday, May 5th, the
Archbishop of Canterbury said that it was " simply shocking " that it should be possible at this time of day for 4. an oligarchy, who were not representative of the people, to take over the actual powers of Government and to control the Press. The Government had the overwhelming weight of public opinion behind them, but he hoped that an effort would be made, " even at the risk of apparent illogicality," to reach a settlement. (As we record else- where the Archbishop as leader of the Christian Churches himself came forward with a scheme.) Lord Buck- master said that the organization of a general strike was " one of the most canton and reckless exercises of tyrannical power that the country had met for centuries." He did not think that the Government could possibly have averted the disaster as he believed it had been arranged from the first. Everyone who valued ordered progress must support the Government. In the same debate there were some interesting exchanges between Lord Birkenhead and Lord Haldane. Lord Haldane said 'that there should have been further negotiations ; where- upon Lord Birkenhead asked him whether he was prepared to defend the general strike. Lord Haldane was understood to say that that was not the issue ; where- upon Lord Birkenhead replied that if Lord Haldane was not prepared to face the responsibility of discussing the general strike he had no right to sit in that House as leader of the Labour Party. • • •
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