18 OCTOBER 1924, Page 2

It must be said, we fear, that Mr. iliacDonald's defects,

which did not at once become apparent, would prevent him from ever becoming a great. Prime Minister in the all-round sense in which a Prime Minister in this country ought to be great. He evidently has not in all circumstances the necessary coolness and the power of impersonal judgment. Without any adequate cause he certainly "went off the deep end," as the popular phrase is, and Mr. Snowden and Mr. J. H. Thomas in combination were unable to restrain his misguided passion. Having failed, Mr. Thomas loyally created a simulacrum of Cabinet solidarity by delivering a pugnacious speech that con- vinced nobody. It is well that electors should ponder upon the origins of this crisis before they make it possible for the nation to be again subjected to the leadership of Mr. Ramsay MacDonald. The need for perfect sanity, for wholly calculable conduct in a Prime Minister, is too urgent for any risks to be taken.