206 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

the sympathy shown to nations struggling for freedom, and in
the desire to protect minorities.

To-day, Liberals consider that the Capitalist-Socialist issue is
not as important as is often supposed. The Conservatives* fond-
ness for aristocracy and for tariffs, and Labour's plans for State
control all appear to Liberals as dangerous to the liberty of the
individual whiqh it is the historic duty of Liberals to preserve.
While rejecting Socialism they advocate considerable reforms in
Capitalism. They are prepared to socialise some industries if it
can be proved that this would increase efficiency, but do not
regard socialisation .as essential for the proper arrangement of
society. The dividing line between public and private enterprise
has been shifted in the past and can be shifted again; it i? a
question of practicability and convenience, not of principle.
Prominent members of the party have made detailed studies of
industrial organisation in order to demonstrate the number of
improvements which could be made without raising the main
question at issue between Socialists and anti-Socialists. They
further consider that social services could be extended beyond
the limits which Conservatives think desirable^ and they stress
the need for improved housing and education. To the Liberal
the Conservative appears too much under the influence of the
rich, and therefore unwilling to help the mass of the people,
while Labour is too much influenced by the Trade Unions, and
led by its Socialist theory to ignore the reforms which are
immediately practicable. JLiberals claim that they, avoiding these
defects, represent not a single class but the whole ^nation; not tied
to a theory they can consider every proposal on its merits. They
oppose the tariff policy of the Conservatives and on immediate
problems in the Imperial and foreign field take a view very
similar to that of Labour.

From 1906 till the outbreak of the War the Liberals ruled and
achieved a large measure of social reform, notably social insurance
and old age pensions, the memory of which still retains many
supporters, During the War, one section of the party, under Mr.