Mr. Lloyd George's irresponsible speech may determine some hesitating Liberals
against working for a recon- ciliation of the two wings of their party under Mr. Lloyd George's leadership. The future of the Liberal Party is, indeed, extremely uncertain. Mr. Lloyd George himself is supposed to desire a compact with Labour under which the Liberals might win for a Labour-Liberal coalition some of the rural seats which Labour cannot win on its own account. Nothing is more likely than an ultimate fusion between the left wing of Liberalism and Labour if Labour finds that its prospects of getting a majority at a General Election do not grow brighter. But the time is not yet. Labour has been encouraged ' by the growth of the Labour vote in the urban con. stituencies, and is not at all in the mood to admit that a coalition is necessary. Meanwhile the two Liberal groups are as hostile as ever. Even if Mr. Lloyd George's fund were placed at the disposal of the whole party Lord Oxford's followers, including Lord Grey of Fallodon, could hardly bring themselves to work with Mr. Lloyd George.
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