leasant
to find that the necessity of constantly producing "another powerful
article next week" has not caused him to lose his oratorical form.
His gestures are slightly reminiscent of the action of the common
pump-handle, but his voice is excellent, and his matter has the merit
of exactly resembling what our old friend "the Man in the Street"
would say in less Parliamentary language, He has no hesitations, for
example, on the subject of making Germany pay. By one of those rapid
financial calculations for which he is renowned he has arrived at
the comfortable figure of ten thousand millions sterling as Britain's
little bill; and if you express doubts as to the debtor's capacity
to pay he replies that he cannot recall any judge who made an order
against him ever prefacing his judgment with an inquiry whether it
would be convenient for him to find the money.

Payment in kind is Mr. RONALD McNEILL's prescription. Let Leipzig
library replenish the empty shelves of Louvain and the windows of
Cologne make good--so far as German glass can do it--the shattered
glories of Rheims.

Mr. CLYNES warned the Government against neglecting the legitimate
aspirations of Labour, one of which, he had the courage to affirm, was
access to more and better beer. He also sought a clear statement of
the Government's policy in Russia. This request was repeated by Sir
SAMUEL HOARE, who, having spent a year and a half during the War
in that distracted country, declared that "we must decide between
Bolshevists and anti-Bolshevists." Unfortunately that is exactly what,
according to the PRIME MINISTER's reply, we cannot do. The Allies
are not prepared to intervene in force; they cannot leave Russia to
stew in Her own hell-broth. The proposed Conference is admittedly a
_pis-aller_; and, if it ever meets, no one can feel very hopeful of a
tangible result from the deliberations of the Prinkipotentiaries.

_Thursday, February 13th_.--Labour unrest produced a capital debate,
in which Mr. BRACE, Mr. THOMAS and Mr. SEXTON made excellent speeches
on the one side, and Major TRYON, Mr. REMER (an employer and a
profit-sharer) and Mr. BONAR LAW were equally effective on the other.
Brushing aside minor causes the Leader of the House, in his forthright
manner, said the root of the matter was that "Labour wants a larger
share of the good things which are to be obtained in this world"--not
an unreasonable desire, he indicated, but one which would not be
permanent