It is no use for Mr. Lloyd George and his
supporters to talk about any pact, for there never was a pact. Though Mr. Lloyd George insisted upon taking up a hostile attitude, Mr. Bonar Law sincerely hoped, and no doubt still hopes, in certain cases to be able to prevent the extinction of National Liberal Coalitionists. The reason why there could not have been any hard and fast pact is perfectly clear. The constituencies would not stand dictation on that point. What has happened is an exact repetition of what happened in the case of the sudden, irresistible call to the Unionist leaders to put an end to the Coalition and Mr. Lloyd George's Premier- ship. Nobody told the constituencies to make that demand. It was a movement from the bottom, not from the top. Headquarters again have had to leave it to the local leaders. The result of all this will be that, though the Unionists may make reciprocal arrangements with the National Liberals in most of the Scottish con- stituencies, in the South there will be comparatively few " deals," unless, of course, a National Liberal candidate is prepared to promise his virtual support to Mr. Bonar Law.
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