The Liberal Party's Appeal.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18480, 7 September 1925, Page 8

The Liberal Party's Appeal.

The Loader of the Opposition spoke quite truly when he said, in the interview printed to-day, that " the coming " election will bo more than usually in-! " tercsting from the fact that the j " National Party will be appealing to "the electors to support it in its en- " deavour to bring into being a strong "progressive Party, which will make " 8 table and effective government the " first consideration." Mr Forbes might without any risk of over-state-ment have gone further, and said that the Liberals' appeal is not merely interesting, but even exceptionally entertaining. About half the electors are now supporters of the Reform Party, and realise that the only sure means of obtaining a stable Government is to get rid of as many of its opponents as possible. To these Mr Forbes will appeal in vain, for they feel that if he desires an efficient, stable, National Government, there is only one way in which he can help to establish it, namely, by effacing himself and his Party. Of tho other 50 per cent of the electors, about three-fifths of them are Labourites, and Mr Forbes will have to rely upon the effect of his appeal upon the 20 per cent remaining. And what, exactly, is his expectation? There is nothing obscure about it. He hopes simply that Mr Coates I may not secure an absolute majority, and that the Liberals can then renew their offer to join up if their price is paid. This is the Liberal idea of the way in which the country can be supplied with the government it needs. It is hardly necessary for us to say that Mr Forbes and his colleagues are folly entitled to believe that the Government would be all the better for having them amongst the Ministers, and if they were to appeal for election on that ground the electors would give the matter careful consideration. But they ought to be quite frank about this. As Mr McLeod has again pointed out, they were perfectly ready to fuse with the Reform Party, and to accept its

policy, so long as there appeared to he a chance that some of the portfolios would go to them. The public, until it has some reason for thinking otherwise, -will continue to regard the Liberals as being in the field solely for what they can get out of the political deadlock which they seem to anticipate. The evidence which Mr Forbes offers for the taking a kinder view of his unfortunate Party is not such as will be accepted by any rational elector. " To show its sincerity," he says, the Party resolved at a caucus that, "whether it does or does not secure " a complete majority over the other " Parties at the General Election, it will " d(?its utmost to bring into one strong " progressive Party all those whs snp- " port the formation of an efficient, " stable, National Government." What a Liberal Party caucus may resolve is not evidence on any point, and evidence least of all on the " sincerity " of the Party. In this particular case insincerity is written large all over the resolution. The very fact that the Partysuggests as a possibility its obtaining an absolute majority convicts it of gross disingenuousness, since everyone knows, including Mr Forbes, that it cannot win 20 seats, and that it will be lucky if it wins a dozen. The Liberals merely hope to split the moderate vote so that their Party, although it will be by far the smallest in the new House, may be able to threaten the Government with a continued alliance with the Beds.