Parliament's Week

The Lords:

Shuddered at their "most painful debate in 50 years," an unprecedented spat between Lord Chief Justice of England and the Lord High Chancellor (see below).

The Commons:

Received with complete apathy an announcement by beak-nosed Chancellor of the Exchequer Neville Chamberlain that, despite the boasted British Treasury surplus, His Majesty's Government chose to welsh on their War-debt payment due the U. S. last week.* Snorted Liberal David Lloyd George: "I should have thought it was not altogether wise to boast to your creditor how much better off you are than he when you have not paid his bill!"

Voted 410-to-127 to authorize His Majesty's Government to present legislation based on the Linlithgow Report (TIME, Dec. 3) to give India a more nearly self-governing status.

Tut-tutted the unseemly conduct of Major Walter Elliot, publicity-courting Minister of Agriculture, who permitted himself to be carried to the premises of Birkbeck College last week by two students dressed as a cow.

Pricked up interest as oldster David Lloyd George announced that he means to stump the entire British Isles with an avowedly Rooseveltian campaign for a British New Deal based on nationalization of the Bank of England, economic planning and high-pressure spending on public works. Cried he: "I think President Roosevelt has given the world a very wise lead. The American New Deal has shown how essential it is to reconstruct completely to defeat depression in every phase of economic life." Ridiculing His Majesty's Government's intention to spend 2,000,000 pounds rehabilitating certain depressed areas (TIME, Nov. 26), New Dealer Lloyd George told the Commons: "If any man went to the American Congress and moved such a paltry sum [$10,000,000] there is not a Congressman but would think he was mentally unbalanced."

It was Lloyd George in his younger days who saddled Great Britain with the Income Tax Act. Today at 71 he hopes to stump up enough enthusiasm for his New Deal to be called to power in coalition with a Labor Government after the next general election. "Labor will win a big electoral victory," declared Prophet Lloyd George, "but will be unable to govern effectively . . . alone. ... I am ready to co-operate."

*So did all other War debtors except Finland.

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