THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1923. LIBERAL REUNION AT HOME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19020, 16 November 1923, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1923. LIBERAL REUNION AT HOME.

The reunion of the Liberal Party, disintegrated since the fall of the first Coalition Government seven years ago, Is one of the most salient features of the present dramatic stir in Home politics. Mr Baldwin’s bold challenge to freetrade sentiment has had the effect of bringing about a rapprochement which might well have seemed to be impracticable a few weeks ago, and which may exercise an appreciable influence upon the immediate current of affairs. There are to be np more National Liberals or Independent \ Liberals (alias “Wee Frcjes”), only “Liberals,” as in the brave days of old. Mr Asquith and Mi* Lloyd George have met, and are reported to have arranged plans for a common campaign. The meeting would not be free from certain elements of difficulty and delicacy; and it may have occasioned some heartburnings to that gifted and vivacious lady, Mrs Asquith, whose literary allusions to her husband’s former colleague have not lacked a salty sting. And yet, perhaps, there is nothing unnatural in the renewed entente between two - statesmen who worked together amicably and successfully for many years, and whose differences were connected with circumstances outside the normal range of domestic politics. They were separated by the controversial exigencies of war, aggravated, no doubt, by some post-war developments; but these did not necessarily furnish ground of permanent estrangement. As yet there has been no mention of th© question of the leadership of the reunited party. In this connection it is pertinent to remember that Air Asquith is seventy-one years of age, whereas Mr Lloyd George is only sixty. Still, it would not be surprising if the elder statesman wore to be accorded the precedence for the time being. At the present juncture it would probably be easier for the National" Liberals to accept Mr Asquith as leader than for the Asqnithians to accept Air Lloyd George. It would be hazardous to predict the extent of the effect which Liberal reunion will produce at the coming General Election. It is likely to be no negligible effect, but we must bear in mind that the Liberals have a vast amount of leeway to reverse. The Parliament elected a year ago yesterday, and probably to be dissolved to-day, was composed of .‘147 Conservatives, 142 Labour members, 59 Asquith Liberals, 59 National Liberals, two Irish Nationalists, one Sinn Fein, and five Independents. After only twelve months is even the influence of the Freotrade warcry likely to “make Liberalism the practical alternative to the present. Government,” as the party manifesto suggests? Is it not more probable that Conservatism will lose some scats both to Labour and to Liberalism, and that the result will be something like a triangular equality, constituting a formidable impasse P