Chancellor of Exchequer, launched a War Loan of 30
millions. 'Twas thought at the time that we were going it, taking a
long stride towards national Bankruptcy Court. Now it is 225 millions
in supplement of a hundred millions voted in August. Moreover, the two
together do not carry us further than end of financial year, 31st of
March. Then we shall begin again with another trifle of same
dimensions or probably increased.

How Mr. G., had he still been with us, would have revelled in
opportunity for delivering an oration planned to scale! How his
eloquence would have glowed over these fantastic figures! HERBERT
HENRY ASQUITH (had he been consulted at the font, he would certainly
have objected to useless waste of time involved in a second baptismal
name) spoke for less than quarter of an hour, submitting proposals in
baldest, most business-like fashion. He wanted the men and he wanted
the money too. Fewer words spoken the sooner he would get them. So,
avoiding tropes and flights of eloquence, he just stood at Table, a
sort of humanized ledger, briefly set forth items of his account,
totalled them up and sat down.

WALTER LONG, following, voiced general dislike for prohibition that
keeps War Correspondents out of fighting line in Flanders. Deprecated
risk of circulating information useful to the enemy, but insisted,
amid cheers from both sides, that there might be published letters
from the front free from such danger "that would bring comfort and
solace to the people and would do more to attract recruits than bands
and flag-parading throughout the country."

Speaking later in reply, Mr. Spenlow ASQUITH, while sympathising with
WALTER LONG'S desire, explained that state of things complained of is
entirely due to Monsieur Jorkins Poincare.

"We are not free agents in this matter," he said. "We must regulate
our proceedings by the proceedings of our Allies."

_Business done._--Vote of Credit for 225 million and authority to
raise another million men for Army agreed to without dissent.

_Tuesday._--Lords and Commons united in paying tribute to the life,
lamenting the death, of Lord ROBERTS--"BOBS," beloved of the Army,
revered in India, mourned throughout the wide range of Empire. Even in
Germany, where hatred of all that is English has become a monomania,
exception is made in his favour. "There are moments," writes a
sportsman in the German Press, "when the warrior salutes the enemy
with his sword instead of striking w