Mr. Lloyd George's speech at Manchester on Saturday might almost
have been a parody of his own oratorical style. A cynical Unionist -..would, we imagine, have drawn -up just such a peroration as this if he had wished to revive the echoes of the "People's Budget" and all the promises that seemed fresh and hopeful in 1909. Mr. Lloyd George made six main points, which, he said, were the aims of Liberalism. Liberalism stands for "fair play for the under dog," the destruction -of the spirit of war and greater co-partnership between Capital and Labour. "A great Empire like ours," he went on, "ought to be too proud to have slums." He _asserted further that. land .reform was needed, 'that -Protection must be done away with, and that Socialism and Fascism are grave dangers to the community. It .did not need Mr. Lloyd George .to tell us this. Everybody who sees an inch in front of his nose is aware that wax is -a ruinous undertaking, that we ought not to have slums, and that Socialism and Fascism are disturbing influences. "What has Liberalism got to propose for our troubles ? " he asked finally. That was the very question which we hoped. his speech would answer, but which it did not. It. is an 'illustration of how. fare Mr. Lloyd -George has destroyed his own market that this statement of a Liberal programme has produced hardly a flutter.
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