Liberal Dissent

Mr. Lloyd George's automobile sped toward Kingsway Hall, Lon, where 1,500 delegates of his party (Liberal) were assembling to decide whether they would support his well-advertised Land Tenure Reform scheme (TIME, Sept. 28 et seq.). Mr. George's motor accidentally crashed into one of the stanchions of the hall, stopped. Mr. George stepped out of the wreckage, entered the hall.

Farmer Liberal enthusiasts for his scheme virtually to nationalize the land applauded such sentiments as those uttered by one Mr. Lovel of Somersetshire:

"Go on, Mr. Lloyd George, and God bless you! Some of the wealthy men may curse you, but other men and generations unborn will rise and call you blessed."

The general spirit of uneasiness and dissent within the party was made evident, however, when a Major Hore-Belisha slapped a man named Pringle publicly across the mouth, because he had groundlessly accused the Major of writing a certain anonymous newspaper article.

To cap the climax of discord, the Rt. Hon. Edward Hilton long famed as the fiscal expert of the Liberal party, announced that he had decided to follow Sir Alfred Mond's lead (TIME, Feb 8) and resigned from the party.* On the last day of the meeting the Laborite Daily Herald exulted: "Within the last few days the disappearance from the political arena of the corpse of Liberalism has been brought much nearer. Lloyd George stands alone, without friends and without support."

Not quite.

Mr. George, as always, compromised with his detractors. Instead of insisting that his form of "nationalization" should be presented to Parliament with the idea of having it made applicable to all land, he accepted a modified wording: "that land shall be held under a variety of tenures to meet different local conditions."

With all his eloquence he labored to bring the meeting around to indorse that compromise. At the eleventh hour he succeeded. Critics opined, however, that only by a miracle can the depleted "corporal's guard" of Liberals left to Leader George succeed in getting his scheme through Parliament.

*Sir Alfred joined the Conservatives. Mr. Young, however, declared himself an Independent.