The British Liberals.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17706, 7 March 1923, Page 8

The British Liberals.

As time goes "on the prospects of anything like speedy reunion of the two branches of the Liberal Party at Home appear to' grow fainter. The speech by Sir John Simon on the subject, summarised in yesterday's cables, and the contemptuous refusal by Mr Asquith even to make himself acquainted with Mr Lloyd George's proposals in the direction of unity, at least suggest that tho gulf between the two parties—the National (Lloyd-Georgian) Liberals and the Independent (Asquithian) Liberals, is still wholly unoridged. It will be remembered that at the general election in November last the National Liberals, of whom Mr Lloyd George had become the leader on the 'break-up 0/ the Coalition, won 55 seats, while the Independent liberals, who claim to be the Liberals pure and simple, and were the Opposition in the last Parliament under the leadership of Mr Asquith, came back 60 strong. Very 60on after the elections a desire for reunion was by some members of each of the Liberal sections, and tentative movements appear to have been made with the object of uniting the Liberal members into a solid force, but as the latest news shows they have so far been unsuccessful. Mr Lloyd George's reference to this subject in. his post-election manifesto did not, it is true, offer a very cordial invitation to Mr Asquith's - followers to join forces with his own. After stating that the Independent Liberals had confidently anticipated the return of at least 120 members of their group and were naturally deenly disappointed at securing only "about 50" (they themselves claim 60), he went on to say: "If the failure "of hfrgh hopes leads to contemplation "of the real cause of that failure and "a sincere desire is manifested to sub- " stitute co-opera Son for conflict, my " colleagues and I will welcome it." This is hardly language calculated to promote reunion and it reads peculiarly when contrasted with the statement by the chief whip of the Lloyd George 1 Liberals, that "the ex-Prime Minister "was sincerely disposed towards a re- " united Liberal Party . . . and if any "euch action on his part would bring " about reunion he would be perfectly "prepared to serve under Mr Asquith's "leadership:" Apparently Mr Asquith and his supporters do not trust Mr Lloyd George all the way.' The latter has a large organisation at his 'back, reputedly well endowed with funds, and there seems to be some doubt whether, if the ex-Prime minister agreed to pool his followers and his resources with those of the other Liberal groups he would not want to have matters too much his own way. There is a suggestion too, in Sir John Simon's latest speech, one which is found in- some of his previous remarks on the subject, that what is needed for real Liberal union is less talk from tlie National Liberals and more work. This is borne out by Mr Asquith's reply to ato intimation that Liberals of both groups wished for reunion. He remarked that a united Liberal Party was a vital necessity to the State, but he added: "So 1 ' far as the House of Commons is concerned the most promising, road " would appear to me to ; be by co-

" operation in debate and in the divi-

I " sion lobby." That is the view also ! expressed by Sir Donald Maclean, the J doughty champion of the Liberal remnant in the last Parliament, and coupled with Mr Asquith's latest indication of his opinions, it offers little hope at present for a corporate union of the Liberal groups.

In Duiiedm last Saturday Inspector Hugo gave reasons for the faith that is in iim as a fire-figliter. He urged prevention, he urged education, he urged even a "lire week" in the schools. But even if his lecture bears fruit' there will still be what the Underwriters call the "moral hazard." It has been fairly definitely established that fire losses, over a long period of years, show a constant relation to business failures. A chart published recently by a ifire insurance company doing "big" business in York, showed that at the end of 1914 business failures were numerous and fire losses above normal. In the prosperous war years both failures and losses were abnormally low. Then with deflation came a large crop of failures again, and these were accompanied by an even larger proportion of fires. So also high cotton prices meant low fire losses, low prices immediately big losses, so unvaryingly and arrestmgly that fires may be regarded as one of the surest of the many barometers of trade.

How many "freshers" at Canterbury College know that, "if they take the right turning, they may bo pursued one day by a travelling fellowship worth £IOOO a year ? According to the "Manchester Guardian" there has been so little demand for the Albert Kahn Travelling Fellowships that the benefactor has been thinking of putting an end to them. For a corresponding French fellowship there is apparently keen competition, but the British for some reason does not excite. Yet the only conditions attached are that holders should be British subjects, that they should have passed the degree examination of some university of Great Britain, and that having followed a prescribed itinerary, free from all professional pursuits, they should write a report of their impressions. Can it be that the average graduate is afraid of the founder's primary object—the ' 'enabling of persons of proved intellectual attainments to acquire, by a comparison of other-human values with those already known, a more generous and philosophio outlook on human life." If that is the case, then ignorance is not only bliss, but can be definitely said in future to be worth more than four figures.

Some six or 6©ven weeks ago we published a .cable message stating, on the authority of the London "Daily Chronicle's" aeronautical correspondent, that the Government's research department ''haa devised a destroyer-tarik which will be able to swim with tho fleet and yet can fly in the air at a high speed, and can be used ' as a submarine if necessary. These uncanny monsters, winch will be called 'Tessaurions,' will develop 3000 horse-power. By the aid of great pneumatic-tyred wheels they will also be able to rush like supertanks up a beach, and oan thus fight under four 'conditions —on the surface of til© sea, on kind, in air, and under water."

It seems a pity to spoil such a goodi story by a slavish adherence to facts, but truth compels us, with the "Daily Chronicle's" article before us, to say that it gained veiy considerably, instead of losing, by compression into the few linos of the cable message. The "Tessaurions"—which derive their name from a free adaptation from the Greek —have not yet reached the stage of beting "devised." The scientists, it is true, are discussing in their laboratories "» new war machine which is literally everything in one—it will fight like a tank on earth, bo a super-destroyer on the water, olimb to give combat in the air, and, when concealment is required, fold its wings, seal its hull, and diva like a submarine beneath the surface of the sea." But the creation of this monster is so far only being "discussed."

Those who aa-e studying) the problems of its construction have before them some recent .triumphs of scientific engineering applied to airplane designing. Tests have lately been carried out with a purely flying machine equipped with four Condor engines built by the RollsRoyce Company, which develop nearly 3000 horse-power. There is also being builti a super-hydroplane, the largest to be constructed. In many respects this will be literally a winged ship, which is intended to travel with a fleet for almost any length of time desired. It will be able, when resting on the water, to ride out the roughest seas, its speed, whether taxi-ing along tfie surface or flying, will be tremendous. "It is to havo anchors, fog-horns, riding-lights, and all the equipment of an ordinary vessel of the sea; while its small, picked crew, in snug quarters within the hull, will cat and sleep on board just like the crew of an ordinary naval craft." Then there are the Vickers "Vikings," the amphibians, also under construction, which, "having great pneumatic-tyred wheels, will rush like. super-tanks along the land," will "speed at cm immense rate across the surface of the sea," or, "extending long, thin telescopic wings of metal, will leave earth or sea for the air." Finally, science this year is striving to make aircraft both invisible and silent. If it succeeds in accomplishing the latter, it will do all 'tha.t, apparently, some residents of Christ-church ask of it.

Sir Alexander Godley was sent to New Zealand because the War Offico suspected him of tact. We had no army, and we were not very eager to, have one; but wo knew end from end of a rifle when he went away because he understood when to be a civilian. And it may easily be that his experience here in reconciling us to militarism, as the extreme called it, will have important reactions on the whole world during the next few weeks. For Sir Alexander is keeping the British watch on the Rhine; and all around him now is tiie French watch; and since the British generally are on good terms with the Germans while the French necessarily are on the worst terms possible, a very small blunder might mean a very hig crash. Already the French have demanded, and after some very polite parleying been granted, a deportation order against the principal German financial representative at

Cologne. General Godley's instructions are neither to obstruct nor, at this stage, to aid any legitimate measures of the Khineland Commission; and to a man without judgment and restraint that would be carte blanche to set the world on fire.

Those who believe in the perfectibility of the human race are no doubt right. If we did not, in fact, all believe in tin's there is not one of us who would bother to put sixpence in the church plate on Sundays, or even to go out in his slippers for the morning paper. But belief meets with serious set-backs. When we found that a m:in would murder a woman for a few score^francs, and go on murdering, the Bluebeard' of Gambais seemed to mock our struggling faith; and now indirectly he begins to vex us again. For the cooking-stove- in which lie burnt eleven of his victims has just been sold at auction for a moderate fortune. For days it was kept on view in the same room in which Landru was tried and condemned, and when the sale came it was knocked down .after the wildest bidding to a. store on the Grands Boulevards, which will uso it as window-dressing. And even there it is not likely to reposa long. Offers running into thousands of francs have begun to pour in, mid will go on pouring in .until cupidity yields to morbidity a second time. The race is certainly improving, or there would be a melee outside the window; but it is improving at a rat© so unmeasurably slow that the prohibitionist may safely go to sleep for a thousand years without being away when he is wanted.