28 OCTOBER 1922, Page 3

On Wednesday Mr. Lloyd George addressed the National Liberal candidates

in London. He was in a much more subdued mood than when he spoke at Leeds or when he told those excited crowds at railway stations that his sword was in his hand. By Wednesday he had appar- ently discovered that his sword was no longer useful, because there was nothing or nobody in particular to strike at. He explained that he had not given his followers a slogan at Leeds because his one business was to see that the blunder of destroying the Coalition should do no harm to the country. He very much doubted whether the Unionists would win at the General Election.

" I doubt it, I doubt it, I doubt it."