Word: chamberlain
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...Name of God, Go!" From the moment he got up to speak it was plain that self-righteous old Neville Chamberlain had lost his confidence. Taking heart from his nervousness, his opponents, in & out of the Conservative Party, punctuated his every sentence with boos, catcalls, cries of "You missed the bus." Up jumped the bewigged Speaker of the House to plead for order. Thereafter, for 57 minutes the Prime Minister droned on, protesting that Trondheim was not comparable to Gallipoli, explaining that the failure in Norway was caused by lack of airdromes and the speed of German troop movements, defending...
Personal Issue. When the House assembled that first afternoon nobody thought there was more than an outside chance of dislodging Chamberlain. An energetic show of confidence by the Prime Minister might have staved off a vote by the House. Labor and Liberals have only 197 seats to 418 for the Conservatives and their supporters, and Chief Party Whip Captain David Margesson has been able to keep many disgruntled "ginger group" Conservatives in line. But as the second day's debate began, it became plain that the Opposition sensed its advantage, would push it for all it was worth...
Labor's energetic Herbert Stanley Morrison, Leader of the London County Council and the man many Britons are watching as the dark horse who may yet run the country, led off for the Opposition, came out flatly with Labor's demand: that not only Mr. Chamberlain, but also his two old cronies, Air Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare and Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir John Simon, must go. Cried...
...feel apprehensive that if these men and others remained in office, we would run the grave risk of losing the war. . . . We feel that in view of the gravity of events, we must divide the House at the end of our debate tonight." Mr. Chamberlain, who had yawned continually through the Morrison speech, was on his feet at once. "I accept the challenge...
...call on my friends. . . ." Those words were a fatal blunder. By introducing a personal factor into so grave a debate Mr. Chamberlain gave his opponents a club which they wielded mercilessly from that moment on. Most effective use of it was made by hoary Lloyd George, who rapped out: "It is not a question of who is the Prime Minister's friend. It is a far bigger issue. The Prime Minister must remember that he has met this foe of ours in peace and in war and he always has been worsted. He appealed for sacrifice from the nation...