16 FEBRUARY 1934, Page 6

A Spectator's Notebook

THE demand of the North Wales Liberals that Mr. Lloyd George should be recalled to the leadership of the Liberal Party means nothing very much in itself, for the nominators represent for the most part a region which is a kind of Lloyd George family enclave. Still, what North Wales says today other parts of Wales, and some parts of England and Scotland, may conceivably be saying tomorrow. It is true, of course, that Mr. Lloyd George is 71, but nothing is so misleading as to measure men by the calendar. Mr. Scan O'Casey, I see, thinks him as young as a man of 24—which is the easier to believe in view of the devastating maturity of young men of 24 nowadays. Here in short is a great party—at any rate a still potentially great party—in desperate need of a leader; and a leader with a notable record still capable of leading and pretty clearly willing to lead. Surely, therefore, the obvious conclusion follows ? It does not ; not for a moment. For what is lacking is the willingness of the party to accept the leader. And I see no prospect of a united Liberal Party, even of a united Samuelite Liberal Party, lining up behind Mr. Lloyd George.