THE LIBERAL REVIVALISTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 269, 13 October 1932, Page 6

THE LIBERAL REVIVALISTS

The flat refusal of Mr David Lloyd George to accept the invitation of Sir Herbert Samuel, and other Liberal Cabinet Ministers, who recently resigned, to attend a Liberal revival gathering] in London sets at rest, as the cable message points out, any; doubt as to his views on the ques-j tion of a Liberal reunion as an' early consequence of the resigna-| i tions. It was just a question ofi ] how long it would be ere the erst-1 : while Liberal Premier would de-; nounce his former colleagues, for] it has been patent to political ob-i servers in the Mother Country; that while he controls by far the] largest part of the Liberal) Parry’s funds he can afford to re-! buffi at will and await the day, which does not appear to be yet.! when he can utilise these funds] in a revivalist campaign of His} own. It is quite easy to understand the feelings of one whose] political fame began when thej Liberal Party was scoring a great] success over what to it is anathema iariffi protection. That subject is the rock upon which the faith of the Liberals is built, and it is not surprising that Sir Herbert Samuel and the others parted company with the

Cabinet tv-ben tbe purpose of the; Ottawa Conference agreements! became known to them as Minis- i ters. but to Mr Lloyd George! their action was belated. These agreements embody a substantial measure of tariff protection which must have material and beneficial effects upon the Empire • as a whole, and it is unfortunate that those members of the Cabinet who helped the nation out of its last emergency do not now real-! ise the need for continued sup-| port of the Government. Yet it j must be realised that they are) being asked to set aside definitely;: a policy which in the past theyj have strenuously urged, so that there is some justification, in their view, for their placing party before country at this stage. It would seem to matter! little at present, and for the next] two or three years, whether or! not there is a movement for aj Liberal revival, so strongly en-j trenched is the Conservative; Party. But there are some pol-j itical observers who believe that.' tt— irTa roa T.-o Porrr olmnrr

vain me .uaDour uarty almost j annihilated as far as Parliament-j ary representation goes, when a:. political revival of any sort comes!: about it will most certainly be ini the Liberal camp, if only for the'? reason that the free trade versus:? tariff reform question supplies aji ground on which the Liberalsj 1 can challenge more pointedly the ! ] Conservative policy than can the; i Labourites. XTntil. however, Mr! Lloyd George and Sir -John Simon 1 s compose their differences, it is it unlikely that the policy of the] 1 present Government will he onsly challenged. Meanwhile, J i the ‘‘'Welsh Wizard” revealsj i that he is in no mood to be wooed \ \ by revivalisis owing allegiance ] r to Sir Herbert Samuel and- the!other Liberal Ministers who re- t signed from the Cabinet. jc