Foreign News: Spat

Conservative whips, anxious to plot their party strategy for the ensuing parliamentary term, have threatened, blustered, begged the complacent Labor Government for some hint of the make-up of the soon-to-be-announced Budget. Did the Labor Party intend to retain the old protective duties on sugar, silk? How about foreign automobiles? Grinning Laborites refused to answer. Last week, onetime (1924-29) Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston (“Winnie”) Churchill joined the battle. Rising moon-faced from his bench, he glared over his wide wing collar at his successor, wizened Labor Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Snowden.

“Does the Right Honorable Chancellor,” he boomed angrily, “intend to keep those important trades in a state of uncertainty from motives of personal vanity and arrogance?”

Roared the Conservatives: “Hear! Hear! Answer! Answer!”

The sedate Speaker of the House, Captain E. A. Fitzroy started under his wig: “The right honorable gentleman knows perfectly well he must not impute motives,” he rapped out.

Cheers and applause from the Labor benches; cries of “Withdraw! Withdraw!”

Ex-Chancellor Churchill, caught aback, waved a deprecatory hand: “Of course I am not imputing incorrect motives, but only temperamental motives.”

Without moving or answering, wizened Philip Snowden gazed fixedly at flustered Mr. Churchill with the expression of one smelling something unpleasant.