Welsh Journals

back upon the Labour Party'. 147 Herbert Lewis was much impressed by Davies's stand: 'D. D. intends to devote the rest of his life to the promotion of this cause. He is a man of high principle & great public spirit.'148 On all sides gloom and doom pervaded Welsh Liberal circles. 'But after the virtual decease of the Liberal Party', wrote Professor W J. Gruffydd, 'things are hopeless now for Wales, I assure you. I have had some experience of deputations & to Whitehall & it is now heartbreaking.'149 'The Liberal Party seems dead', agreed Ellis W Davies, 'and so far Labour has not thrown up a Leader. There is a good deal of discussion as to Ll.G.'s future. I merely say he is incalculable, but that is the source both of his weakness & his strength.'150 After a discussion with Lloyd George at the end of 1932, H. A. L. Fisher wrote: LG thinks that if trade does not improve England will be divided between Communists and Fascists and that Oswald Mosley will come into his own as leader of a Fascist party. That would indeed be a bleak look-out but I am not pessimistic.151 For Welsh Liberals a further trial of strength was soon upon them, for the appointment of Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris to be a metropolitan magistrate precipitated in September 1932 a closely observed three- cornered by-election in Cardiganshire. Although a wealthy Liberal barrister, D. Owen Evans, easily headed the poll, promising to adopt an 'an independent judgement', 152 the course of the campaign revealed 147 Ibid., D93/10, Davies to Lewis, 7 January 1932 ('Private and Personal'). Davies had heartily rejoiced in the illness which had put Lloyd George out of action at the time of the formation of the national government: 'What have you done with L.G.? Having carted everybody in the course of his career, does it now mean that he has at last been carted himself?' (NLW, Uandinam Papers [uncatalogued], D.D. to Sir Donald Maclean, 4 September 1931 [copy]). See J. Graham Jones, 'Montgomeryshire Politics: Clement Davies and the National Government', Montgomeryshire Collections, 73 (1985), 103. 148 NLW, Sir John Herbert Lewis Papers B45, diary entry for 17 January 1932. 149 Ibid., Al/636, Gruffydd to Lewis, 1 April 1932. 150 Ibid., Al/659, Davies to Lewis, 18 September 1932. 151 Ibid., Al/695, Fisher to Lewis, 27 December 1932. 152 Election address of D. Owen Evans, September 1932.