Sta,—Mr. H. G. Rawlinson's letter in your issue of October
rith hits the nail right on the head. How long is the progressive wing of the Conserva- tive Party to be dragged down by those who, in Sir Herbert Williams' classic phrase, believe that policy simply " grows " by going " baldheaded for the other side "? It has been well said that the coming political struggle is between Liberalism and Socialism, with Conservatism just an also ran. As the Tory party is at present constituted there are two alternatives to a further five years' real Socialism after the next General Election. One is a really progressive revolution throughout the Tory party, and the other a tremendous revival of the Liberal Party. At the moment there is no sign of the former and much evidence of the latter, but the tragedy is that if both movements make fair progress by the next election, the result will only be that the forces of Liberalism will be divided and Socialism prevail.
When will the progressive Conservatives, Liberal Nationals and Liberals at Westminster realise their destiny and, by uniting under a practical policy of Liberalism, create the only sure shield against full-scale Socialism? The key of the dilemma is practical policy, not public recrimination, and it is too easily forgotten how much common ground there is to-day between progressive non-Socialists of all parties. The Liberal Party is busy setting up new machinery in the constituencies; let, then, the progres- sive Conservative M.P.s have the courage of their convictions now and break from the fetters that will bind them in 1950.—Yours faithfully,
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