Impressions of British Party Politics, 1909–1911

Students of history and political science have watched with great interest the course of British politics during the past two years. To American students a certain similarity in the character of the constitutional and economic questions before both countries has appealed with special interest; for the central problem in England, dominating all others, is how to deal with new perils and tendencies and with inherited problems and traditions in the face of the demands of an increasing democracy. These matters naturally have many aspects and include a variety of topics. Furthermore, historical perspective and the use of sources now naturally denied to the investigator will give the historian in a later generation certain advantages; yet by limiting this article merely to certain impressions of recent party politics, recognizing always that the future historical student will undoubtedly be able to supply corrections, it may be possible to make use with caution of a small portion of such material as is now available to the writer. In any case it is, impossible because of lack of space and unnecessary for the readers of this journal to attempt a chronicle of events and analyses of documents already familiar.