In consequence of the recent decision that no Member shall in future
receive two salaries it had been rumoured that Parliamentary salaries
would be abolished altogether. There were signs of heartfelt relief from
various quarters of the House when the PREMIER met the suggestion with
an uncompromising "No."
Captain J. S. RANKINE, the khaki-clad giant who took his seat for East
Toxteth to-day, had a warm reception, all the more grateful in view of
the blizzard that raged without. The temperature of the House fell
rapidly, however, when Mr. SNOWDEN proceeded to outline his views on the
subject of peace. In vain he attempted to show that there was a
considerable party in Germany ready to come to terms if only they knew
what our terms were. Members listened in chilly silence. They thawed
into laughter when the Hon. Member with some lack of humour quoted the
German CHANCELLOR'S declaration, "We do not threaten small nations;" and
they cheered when he quoted, with intent to condemn, Lord ROSEBERY'S
statement that Germany must be utterly crushed. Nor was the House more
impressed by Mr. TREVELYAN'S proposal that as there might be a
peace-party in Germany it was our duty to "state our full terms and find
out."
The PRIME MINISTER'S reply was, I fear, very painful to the pacificists.
The German CHANCELLOR'S statement he found to be one of "colossal and
shameless audacity." German Socialists might prate of peace, but only
twenty out of five times that number in the Reichstag had the courage to
vote against the War Credit. Our terms were already on record in the
speech which he made at the LORD MAYOR'S Banquet in 1914. Until
Belgium--"and I will add Serbia"--has been fully reinstated, until
France is secured against aggression, until the smaller nationalities
are safeguarded, until the military domination of Prussia is destroyed,
"not until then shall we or any of our gallant Allies abate by one jot
our prosecution of this War." The cheers that greeted this declaration
lasted almost as long as the speech itself. In the ensuing debate Mr.
PONSONBY, Sir W. BYLES, and one or two others emitted what Mr. STANTON
picturesquely described as "the croakings and bleatings of the fatted
lambs who had besmirched their own country." But they created no effect.
Mr. SNOWDEN's early peace had been nipped by the frost.
_Thursday, February 24th._--In both Houses the administration of the
Military Service Act was again the subject of criticism. From the
explanations given by Lord NEWTON and Mr. TENNANT it appears that most
of the complaints against the recruiting officers for over-pressure have
come from men who were applying for armlets, not for exemption. As Lord
NEWTON put it, a man, if he wants to obtain an armlet, must run the risk
of being taken for some kind of service. Mr. TENNANT reminded some of
his critics, not superfluously, that the object of this Act was to get
men to serve.
Lord DERBY, fresh from his triumph as Director of Recruiting, is to act
as Chairman of the new Joint Committee which will supervise and
co-ordinate naval and military aviation. For him, as for that other
_Ariel_, "there's more work." The same is now true of Colonel LOCKWOOD
who, since the opening of the Session, has been in a condition of
suspended animation. The Kitchen Committee, in the opinion of many
Members the most important of all the Committees, had not been set up,
and consequently could not elect a Chairman. How Members have lived
through more than a week without any visible means of securing
subsistence it is not for me to reveal. Suffice it to say that no case
of absolute starvation has come to my notice. To-day all is well. The
Kitchen Committee is again in being, and "Uncle Mark" has once more been
appointed Minister of the Interior (unpaid, except by the gratitude and
affection of his fellow-Members). Fresh responsibilities have now been
thrust upon him. This afternoon it fell to him, as temporary Leader of
the Opposition, to ask the customary question as to next week's
business. Having heard the PRIME MINISTER'S reply, he sat for a few
moments as if lost in thought, calculating, no doubt, by a rapid process
of mental arithmetic what the Consolidated Fund Bill, Supplementary
Estimates and the Civil Service Vote would amount to in terms of
dinners, teas and other light refreshments.
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[Illustration: _Enraged Tommy_ (_bespattered with mud by sniper's bullet
aimed a bit too low_). "Put up yer sight, yer careless blighter!"]
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