om Mr. BRACE that there was no immediate danger of this
contingency. Indeed, Prince RUPPRECHT has had so much trouble already
with his prospective subjects that he has probably no desire for their
closer acquaintance.

Sir LEO CHIOZZA MONEY is ordinarily a chirpy little person, quite
able to take care of himself. But he was obviously depressed by his
inability to furnish a plausible reason why two food-ships, having
arrived safely in home ports, should have been sent away undischarged,
with the result that they were torpedoed and their cargoes lost. The
statement that he was "still inquiring" brought no comfort to the
House of (Short) Commons. Why doesn't the SHIPPING CONTROLLER organise
a Flying Squadron of dock-labourers?

[Illustration: _Mr. BONAR LAW_ (_to Mr. MCKENNA_). "AS ONE CHANCELLOR
OF THE EXCHEQUER TO ANOTHER, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE SEVENTY
MILLION POUNDS OUT?"]

_Tuesday, May 8th_.--The official reticence regarding the names
and exploits of our airmen was the subject of much complaint. Mr.
MACPHERSON declared that it was quite in accordance with the wishes of
the R.F.C. themselves. But Sir H. DALZIEL was still dissatisfied. He
knew of a young lieutenant who had brought down forty enemy machines
and been personally congratulated by the Commander-in-Chief, and yet
his name was not published. It is obvious that praise even from
Sir DOUGLAS HAIG is not the same thing as a paragraph in _Reynolds'
Newspaper_.

[Illustration: BEAU BRUMMEL BILLING GIVES THE "NO-STARCH" MOVEMENT A
GOOD SEND-OFF.]

A request for an increased boot-allowance to the Metropolitan Police
met with a dubious reception from Mr. BRACE, who explained that
it would involve an expenditure of many thousands of pounds. It is
rumoured that the Home Office is considering the recruitment of a
Bantam Force, with a view to reducing the acreage of leather required.

_Wednesday, May 9th_.--If the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER should
be accused of having taken advantage of his knowledge of the
Budget-proposals to lay in a secret hoard of tobacco he will have no
one to blame but himself. He solemnly assured the House that nothing
has been brought to his notice to show that the trade is making undue
profits. It is clear, therefore, that he has not had occasion to go
into a tobacconist's and ask for his favourite mixture, only to find
that his three-half-penny tax has sent the price up by twopence.

By prohibiting the manufacture of starch the Gov