With Liberal Support SIR.-1 was interested to read Quoodle's reference
in 'Spectator's Notebook' to the support which Mr. Asquith gave to the Labour party which en- abled it to form a government following the elec- tion in 1923.
In that year I was adopted as prospective Liberal candidate for a constituency where the sitting Liberal member had indicated an intention to retire. Later, when I saw how things were going, I came to the conclusion that the action taken by the Liberal leader would lead to the virtual death of the Liberal party., Accordingly I withdrew my can- didature and retired from active- politics.
In the election which subsequently followed in 1924, the Liberals suffered very heavy losses, in' eluding the constituency for which I had hoped to stand, and have never recovered them.
The analogy with the present situation is not, however, comparable, because in 1923, as I recol- lect it, the Tory party were the largest party 01 the House, and Mr. Asquith, without a coalition, gave his support to Labour, which was the minority party. Now it is the majority party. P. LE NEVE FOSTER
Farlands, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks
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