[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sut,—The various speculators in your correspondence columns on the future of Liberalism and Labour have, without exception, forgotten the existence of one of the most important documents on the subject. I refer to the report of the Liberal Industrial Enquiry—Britain's Industrial Future. This committee, whose report was adopted aS the official Liberal policy in 1928, came to the conclusion that " the choice between Socialism and Individualism is an obscure and out-of-date issue."
I remember Hubert Phillips, in explaining the report to a conference of the Scottish Liberal Federation, make a very apt comparison. He said there were two types of vegetarian, those who refused to eat meat as a matter of principle, and those who accepted a vegetarian diet because it was necessary to give them a healthy body. So it is, said Mr. Phillips, with our attitude to Socialism. The Labour Party works for Social- ism as a matter of principle. The Liberal Party, on the other hand, will accept a certain amount of Socialism but only where it has been proved necessary for the health of the body politic-
Dr. Wood asks too much of the Labour Party and expects too little from Liberalism. The Labour Party has made its contri- bution to the solution of the problem with the new short term policy. If only those Liberals who are so afraid of the Socialist bogey would have faith in the writings of that band of able men, of their own party, who drafted the Yellow Book then the People's Front will become a reality in the very near future.— I am, yours faithfully, JOHN BAIRD. 69 High Street, Birmingham.
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