IN SEARCH OF A POLICY

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 126, 28 May 1920, Page 6

IN SEARCH OF A POLICY

In celebrating the Liberal victory of Mr. Masters at Stratford, the Leader of the Liberal jeaction of the Opposition, Mr. Mac Donald, " deplored the Government's lack of policy.'" 1 We^ think thai Mr. Mac Donald has put it mildly; and we hope thai his evicient—and prr.iscworthy—intention not to embarrass the Government will not prevent him from, saying the same thing,, with increasing emphasis, until something happens. Sometimes it almost appears as if the Government needs to be saved from itself. What happens in Ministers' secret councils we do not profess to know, but if they arc taking immediate steps to make this Reconstruction Parliament the constructive success that it ought to he,i and needs to be, they certainly have failed Hitherto to project themselves in that light before the public. Yet the need for a very tlefim'to policy, framed on national instead of party lines, was never greater, and if the third session shows a record of words instead of deeds it is much t& be dcubted whether the electors at the bal-lot-box will be, or ought to be, tolerant. Should sueh 1 a situation arise, the Reform cause will be endangered, especially if the Reds' fail to come to the rescue with their usual extremist follies. Just ai> present the Reform Government is doing little enough in its own interest, and the Reds are contributing remarkably little to help it. Mr. Peter Fraser, it is 'true, is doing his best, but one swallow does not make a summer. If, by a miracle, extremist Labour should .gather some political sense, Reform will discover a hiatus that can only be made good at election-time by some positive, outstanding virtues developed on its own account.