of the Chamber, going round by
the Wrekin. During the last stage of the route the intrepid traveller was
accompanied by Sir HENRY DALZIEL and Mr. BOTTOMLEY.

In introducing a Vote on Account of the Army for a trifle of seventy-four
millions the WAR MINISTER proudly announced that Britain and Germany were
the only countries in the world that had abolished conscription--and
Germany's action was not exactly voluntary.

Mr. CHURCHILL'S description of a new tank, so fast that it could outstrip a
foxhound "over a country," so cool that even in the tropics its crew would
preserve their _sangfroid traditionnel_, and so delicately sprung that it
could run over a brick without hurting itself--or the brick--momentarily
encouraged the belief that here was the weapon to make war impossible. But
almost in the same breath Mr. CHURCHILL stated that simultaneously the War
Office had invented a rifle grenade which would put the super-tank out of
action. "As you were!"

Criticism was not entirely disarmed. Mr. DEVLIN of course talked of
Ireland--"the only country with which the Empire is at war to-day;" and
little Capt. WEDGWOOD BENN rebuked Mr. CHURCHILL for his unfilial sneer at
"pious America," and was himself advised "not to develop more indignation
than he could contain."

_Tuesday, February 24th._--In both Houses the new policy of the Allies in
regard to Soviet Russia was unfolded. The gist of it is that they will not
enter into diplomatic relations with the Bolshevist Government until it is
ready to adopt civilised methods, but in the meantime will heartily
encourage trade with Russia. It would seem that the practical genius of our
race has once more discovered a means of indulging sentiment without
interfering with business.

[Illustration: THE LABOUR LORD CHANCELLOR.

_A forecast._

LORD HALDANE.]

Lord BIRKENHEAD (not BROKENHEAD, by the way, as the _Cork Constitution_,
inadvertently or not, calls him) chaffed LORD HALDANE on his "How Happy
could I be with Either" attitude between Liberalism and Labour, and advised
him definitely to be off with the old love and on with the new, in order
that when Labour came into its own the Woolsack might be adequately filled.

Sir ALFRED MOND did not allow himself to be perturbed by the description of
certain pictures in the Imperial War Museum as "freaks" and "libels," for
he had observed "with some astonishment" that most of the art critics had
pronounced them to be very fine works