On the eve of the meeting of the Conservative Party the opponents of Mr. Baldwin who can be. also regarded as the supporters of Lord Beaverbrook were guilty of what was rather a dirty dodge even in political affairs which are not al~ The Paddington place to-day; 1 of strength between hours before election the papers published a memorial to the Conservative Chief Whip on the following terms "We, the subjoined members of the Con: servative, Party in the House of Commons, submit that a change of eadorship is, essential ju,,. the national interest." It was. si by 44 members whose names: were given, Of course the anti-Baldwin papers fastened on it with joy, but fas the day wore on it became very clear that it was very largely a "fake" pronouncement, A nuniber members whose names. were given as signatories of the docu ment which was alleged to be based on the proceedings of a small party meeting of extremists, denied they, were ever there at all, or that if they were there they never signed anything.
'The fact seems to. be that the meeting wa held, that anti-Baldwin' senti ents were collected, the present and fseued them as supporting the particular form of wording which have mentioned, "and which, was never apparently submitted to the gathering in any concrete form. Some papers suggest thatthe whole thing is a hoax but this is not quite the ease. The extremists undoubted oily meant to go as far as the Geclaration T have set. out, but, it is quite another matter to pin everyone down to written support and approval of a sentiment 80 rudely expressed. Clearly somes Tody saw that it would be a very. igeful pronouncement on the eve of the Paddington election and there fs mo doubt it was issued for, this oucnore. From this it will be seen that the bitterness in the Conserv tive Party. continues, and. to-day's ceting. of which as T write the result is not known, will not diminish it. The trouble is. that there ix_no alternative Teaders to Mr. Baldwin in sight. Even if Sir Rupert Home would take over the ask, which he will not owing to his commercial interests and. his friendship with Mr. Baldwin, he would not be a very. great improve ment on existing affairs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.