fire from the ground, and that the only effective way of
opposing them was to meet like with like. Again in 1913 he dwelt upon
the inadequacy of our aerial defences.

His object to-day was not to extol his own merits as a prophet, but to
get the Government to act on the motto "One Element One Service" and
establish a single Ministry of the Air. Lord HALDANE thought we ought to
do some "violent thinking" before adopting the proposal, but quite
agreed (with a reminiscent glance at the Woolsack) that we had not made
sufficient use of lighter-than-air machines. That was Lord BERESFORD'S
view, too; we must oppose Zeps to Zeps. Then, having evidently done some
violent thinking over the recent debate in the Commons he launched out
into a wholly irrelevant attack upon Colonel CHURCHILL for trying to
create anxiety about the Fleet, and appealed to Lord FISHER (who was not
present though Lord BERESFORD had particularly invited him) to repudiate
the agitation conducted by the honourable Member for DUNDEE, a few
newspapers and twenty sandwichmen. Lord LANSDOWNE subsequently noted
that this most irregular digression appeared to be "not wholly
distasteful" to the peers assembled. Turning to Lord MONTAGU'S proposal
he pointed out that the Government had gone some way to meet it by
setting up Lord DERBY'S Committee. But, though prepared to see the
Cabinet increased to a round couple of dozen, he was not convinced that
the only way to remove imperfections was to appoint a new Minister to
deal with them.

It seems probable therefore that there is no truth in the report that
Colonel CHURCHILL has been asked to join the Government as Minister of
Admonitions.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Tommy (who is learning every minute about barbed-wire
defences)._ "When I gets home, no more perishin' cats shall ever get
into my back garden."]

* * * * *

Painful Accident to a Clergyman.

"While the Rev. Mr. Stulting was camping out one of his calves
was attacked and stung to death by a passing swarm of bees."

_Cape Argus._

* * * * *

Sir THOMAS MACKENZIE, as reported by _The East Anglian Daily Times_:--

"I now think it is time you intermingled with your affairs a
little of the wisdom of the sergent instead of the dove-like
kindness which you have showed to the Germans in the past."

There is a strong feeling among our N.