[Illustration: "Whether a portrait is a work of art depends on the artist
and not on the subject painted."--_Sir A. MOND on the Imperial War Museum
Pictures_.]

The idea that Irishmen, however much they may dislike British rule, never
miss an opportunity of raiding the British Treasury, has received a rude
shock. Captain REDMOND, inquiring about the allocation of a sum of a
quarter-of-a-million for reconstruction in Ireland, was surprised to learn
that ten thousand pounds had been allotted to his own constituency, but not
claimed. Mr. DEVLIN supplied the key to the mystery: "The reason it was not
asked for was because we did not know it was there."

I learn from _Who's Who?_ that the recreations of Sir ALFRED MOND include
"golf, motoring and all forms of sport." It must have been with keen
regret, therefore, that he felt himself compelled to refuse facilities for
cricket in Hyde Park, owing to the risk to the public. Viscount CURZON
asked if cricket was more dangerous than inflammatory speeches. But the
FIRST COMMISSIONER, speaking no doubt from personal experience, expressed
the view that there was considerably more danger from a cricket-ball.

The Opposition had rather bad luck on the Constantinople debate. If they
had waited till Monday, as originally arranged, they could have trained
their big gun from Paisley on to the Government entrenchments. Through
insisting on the earliest possible date, they had to content themselves
with the far lighter artillery of Sir DONALD MACLEAN. Much, however, was
hoped from Lord ROBERT CECIL, who was believed to be heavily charged with
high explosives. But before he could come into range up jumped Sir EDWARD
CARSON, and in a few brief sentences pointed out that until the PRIME
MINISTER had told them the grounds for the decision to leave the Turk his
capital, and the conditions under which he was to stay there, the House was
talking in the air. Members thereupon clamoured for the PRIME MINISTER, who
accordingly had to make his defence when he had heard only half the
indictment, and to expend most of the ammunition he had prepared for Lord
ROBERT, including some remarkable specimens of the "deadly parallel,"
before receiving his adversary's fire.

That in turn rather upset Lord ROBERT'S plan of campaign, and he was not
much more destructive than Sir DONALD MACLEAN had been. The House as a
whole seemed satisfied that the Allies had done their best with a problem
for which there is no