The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1926. BRITISH LIBERALISM.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1926, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1926. BRITISH LIBERALISM.

For tht carnu that lacks assistant*. For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that un can do.

Derisive laughter may be expected from the ranks of Lnbour at Mr. Lloyil George's formal rejection of a LiberalLnbour alliance. The . handful of Liberals in the House will be told that Labour, which is the official Opposition and about five times as strong numerically, does not care whether Liberalism seeks an alliance or not. Labour is going its own way, and does not want any allies. If you asked it which way it was going it would say, "Towards Socialism, of course." Yet Mr. Lloyd George's statement is interesting. It draws fresh attention to the recent history of the two parties, their points of agreement and disagreement, and the failure of attempts to come to a working understanding. Mr. Lloyd George accepts his "full share of the blame" for the alliance of 1924, which put Labour into office, and says no such help will be given again, Perhaps this is a rash statement. At any rate, we do not think the Liberal party should blamo itself for whnt it did. It took a momentous decision after very careful consideration, and its motives were honourable and far-sighted. Circumstances had arisen in which Labour could be tried as a Government without exposing the country to grave risks. Mr. Asquith and his colleagues , realised that it waa desirable to give Labour experience' of ofrlco in order that the party might be steadied by knowledge and responsibility. We still think it is a pity, for its own sake, that the Labour party's term of office was so short. That was not the fault of the Liberals. They were patient beyond expectation, but the Labour party insisted on committing suicide.

The whole situation is complicated by the real affinity for Liberalism of a large section of the Labour party. Men like Mr. Mac Donald, Mr. Henderson, and Mr. Thomas ar« much nearer to Mr. Lloyd George than to the firebrands of the Clyde. The way in which the" ideal of Socialism has paled of late in the minds of some of the leaders of the party is very noticeable. It is to be achieved some day, in the dim and distant future. The Liberal "Weekly Westminster," referring in a recent issue to a new industrial policy launched by Mr. Mac Donald, says that "its chief feature is that it abandons Socialism. It i.s a vague and sloppy plea for organised co-operation between Capital and Labour. It is, in fact, a crib from the Liberal industrial policy, though Mr. Mac Donald shows that he has not thought it out." Unfortunately for the Liberal party, the Labour party continues to obtain support through its adhesion to Socialism, and it has'all the vast organisation of the trade union movement behind it. Numbers of men and women vote for Labour who have the vaguest idea of what kind of Socialism the party would introduce if it could, and many of these would oppose Socialism if it touched their own interests. Labour's "strength lies partly in its declaration for Socialism, but much more in the vague dissatisfaction with present conditions that is to be found in all classes. It has a programme which, though largely nebulous, makes a strong appeal to many voters; it has able leaders; and it has a fine organisation.

The Liberal party, on the other hand, has suffered by the defection of many supporters to Labour; it lacks leaders, its organisation is inferior, and its policy is not attractive. Mr. Lloyd George says it is not going to perish, but will experience a revival. Certainly it is more active in the Press and on the platform, and much stronger in the country, than its figures in the House indicate. It is organising busily and spreading Liberal views with energy and enthusiasm. Mr. Lloyd George himself displays all his old-time vigour. The coal report was a monument to the industry and zeal of himself and his friends, and the land report, whatever one may think of its conclusions, is a valuable document. Unfortunately there is no leading in the sense that Mr. Baldwin leads the Conservatives and Mr. Mac Donald the Labour party. Lord Asquith is in the Lords, and Mr. Lloyd George lias never been forgiven and is not trusted by a large section of the party. We doubt whether a gtoap Liberal revival will ever take place under his leadership. In the meantime, however, the party is very much alive in intellectual activity, and it is doing a great public service not only by its regular criticism in Parliament, but by its work outside with voiae and pen.