The Nation and its Leader The Conservative Conference at Margate
takes place too late for comment here this week. Despite the absence of the Conservative leader, Mr. Baldwin, the conference will be of unquestioned importance in demonstrating how far the coheSion of the largest party in the State is being Maintained after five years of office. Some light presum- ably will be thrown on Mr. Baldwin's position, for though his principal lieutenants cannot fail to express unreserved loyalty to him, and unqualified confidence in his future leadership, the rank-and-file of the conference will be doing an ill service to their party and their country if they fail to make clear their view that the prolonged period in which this country has had no effective Prime Minister must be brought to a speedy end. There could be no better or more trusted leader than Mr. Baldwin— so long as he is leading—but if his health is still so precarious that he must let slip this notable opportunity, consecrated by a hitherto unbroken tradition, of giving authoritative utterance, as head of a great party, to his views on home and foreign affairs, there must be grave misgivings as to his ability to take up the full burden of Cabinet and Parliamentary duties a month hence. Sympathy with the Prime Minister is universal, but concern at his absence on national grounds is universal too.
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