28 JANUARY 1922, Page 3

Mr. Asquith and Lord Grey of Fallodon spoke at a

large meeting of Independent Liberals at Westminster on Monday, in reply to the Prime 'Minister. Mr. Asquith contested the-claim of the Coalition Liberal Conference to represent the Liberal Party ; four-fifths of the local organizations, he said, gave him their support. He resented the Prime Minister's " personal gibes " at himself. He complained that the Coalition Liberals wanted all the credit for an Irish policy and for a policy of retrenchment which he and his friends had long advocated. He invited the Coalition Liberals who were genuine Free Traders to demand the repeal of the Safeguarding of Industries Act. As for Mr. Churchill's desiro,tor stability, the Coalition had repeatedly reversed, its

policy for education, agriculture, coal, transport, and so forth, and •had shown itself a " Government by spasms and zigzags, of expedients and experiments."