David Defiant

(British Commonwealth of Nations)

The once great, now dwindling, Liberal party continued rent (TIME, June 7) last week as Lloyd George, Liberal leader in the Commons, was further baited in letters to the press by Lord Oxford and Asquith, official leader of the party.

The noble Lord aired during the week the surprising theory that Mr. George had tactically resigned from the Liberal party by refusing to attend a meeting of its "shadow Cabinet" (party council) during the "general strike."

In an impassioned public speech at Manchester, Mr. George declared: "It is a wretched business and it looks as if they had made up their minds to get rid of me. . . .

"I am not here to dwell on personal differences, but quite frankly I have not had a square deal. . . . I was walking peaceably along my path when suddenly I was assailed by an angry bull of excommunication.

"I attended that shadow Cabinet, God help me, oftener than any other of Lord Oxford's colleagues. . . .

"We are not the only party to split. I remember the split over the Boer War . . . They were differences worthy of a great party.

"If they mean to drum a man out of the Liberal party because he erred on the side of conciliation with millions of British workmen in a great dispute, on that proposition I will fight right through to the end. . .

"I am told now that I resigned. When did I resign? In a letter I made it clear I was not going to attend the meeting that day. That was not a resignation. . . ."

"I can no longer have the privilege of being a liberal shadow. I have been driven out into the sunlight, not a bad thing. I have no intention to accept my dismissal from the Liberal Party. I cannot be driven from the Liberal platforms. I see on sign of my being driven from the leadership of that party in the House of Commons."

That this was no empty boast was apparent from the action taken by a meeting of 34 Liberal M. P's, a majority of whom indicated by their speeches that they would back Lloyd George against Lord Oxford and Asquith in the event of a formal Liberal split.