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honorary organiser/agent in the person of John Jones, Aberystwyth. A strat- egy was also in place to build up its depleted finances.6 At long last a general election was in prospect. Only four short days before the dissolution of parliament, however, D. O. Evans died at his London home at the age of 69 a political disaster for Labour as much prop- aganda against D. O. Evans was nullified'.7 The local Socialists' disappoint- ment was understandable as Evans had close family connections with the armaments industry. Cardiganshire Liberals meanwhile had no alternative but to choose a successor candidate. A short list of strong aspirants for the nomination was hastily drawn up, among them Alun Talfan Davies, Jenkin Alban Davies, John Morgan Davies (Welsh secretary of the National Farmers Union) and Ifan ab Owen Edwards, founder of Urdd Gobaith Cymru back in 1922 and of the Welsh primary school at Aberystwyth in 1939, and son of prominent litterateur and Oxford historian O. M. Edwards who had actually served transiently as Liberal MP for his native Merionethshire way back in 1899-1900 (as successor to Thomas Edward Ellis). At the selection meeting, Edwards romantically described himself as 'a product of Merionethshire, the countryside, the smithy, and the cobbler's shop. It was in those haunts that he had been taught the elements of true Liberalism. An old-fashioned Liberal, he had always remained true to the ideals of Henry Richard of Tregaron and Tom Ellis of Cefnddwysarn.' As an ex-serviceman who had seen active service during the Great War, he assured those returning from the war in 1945 that they 'would not have to undergo the experiences of the years immediately following the last war'.8 Yet another (perhaps less well known) aspirant for the nomination, Captain E. Roderic Bowen, in an eloquent bilin- gual peroration, advocated the successful conclusion of the war with Japan, the appointment of a secretary of state for Wales, and achieving an under- standing with Russia. Underlining the need to preserve 'political liberty', he thundered against 'all forms of trust and monopoly', and promised to dedi- cate himself to the development of agriculture. He saw his selection as can- didate as 'a sacred trust the maintenance of the Liberal principles in the County of Cardiganshire'.9 Following addresses by the six candidates for the nomination, it was resolved that a vote by ballot would reduce the number to a short-list of three: Bowen, Edwards and J. M. Davies. A further ballot then resulted in 'a clear majority on the first voting for Captain Bowen', although no voting fig- ures were ever announced.10 In the ensuing general election campaign no Conservative contender appeared, and the Liberal platform focussed prima-