Liberals Reorganise It is difficult yet to assess the value
of the Liberal Party Conference held in London last week. In numbers and enthusiasm it came near creating a record, and the reorganisation scheme—providing for an assembly, a council and local affiliated associations—adopted was on sound and practical lines. There is no doubt, more- over, that the existence of an effective Liberal Party is in the interests of the country, for the man of moderate views may reasonably desire standing-ground between a Conservative Party irretrievably Protectionist and a Labour Party irretrievably Socialist. But the fate that has overtaken the Party at recent General Elections has tended to spread the impression that a vote given to the Liberals is a vote thrown away. Nevertheless, as National Liberals tend to become more and more identified with Conservatives—and the distinction between them is invisible to the naked eye already— there is likely to be some swing back from them to Liberalism without affix or suffix. What is most needed is some new men under fifty as leaders. It is just to observe in that connexion that Sir Archibald Sinclair is showing himself increasingly equal to his respon- sibilities. The country is groping for some effective expression of Left Centre opinion. The Liberal Party might yet provide it.
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