r, instead of getting less, was given nearly
three times that amount. Lord DEVONPORT has now approved a new dietary
scale for prisoners, under which the bread ration will be cut down to
sixty-three ounces, or just one ounce less than the allowance of the free
and independent Englishman. On the Army Estimates Mr. PRINGLE attacked the
Salonika Expedition with a vigour which must have greatly pleased the
Bulgar. By a curious lapse of memory, as Mr. CHURCHILL pointed out, he
omitted all reference to the position of M. VENIZELOS and our honourable
obligations to our Allies.
Mr. CHURCHILL was indeed more statesmanlike than he has been of late, His
"amphibious intervention" was on this occasion quite justified. There was
good sense in his warning that, while perseverance towards a definite
objective was a virtue, "perseverance with an eye on the past" was an
equally serious vice; and I hope it signifies a determination on his part
not to allow his brilliant future to be all behind him.
_Tuesday, March 6th._--Ever since the War began, Mr. SWIFT MACNEILL'S most
cherished ambition--second, of course, to his desire to quit Westminster
for College Green--has been to get the Dukes of CUMBERLAND and SAXE-COBURG
deprived of their British titles. He has worried three successive
Governments on the subject, and some time ago received a definite promise
that it should be dealt with. A further question regarding it stood in his
name to-day, but when he rose to put it Mr. GINNELL squeaked out, "May I
ask you, Mr. SPEAKER, what this House has to do with these family matters?"
Mr. MACNEILL, of course, like most of his countrymen, has royal blood in
his veins, but nevertheless did not seem pleased with the allusion.
Further protests against the mutilation of the Dardanelles Report were made
by Sir WALTER ESSEX, Sir CHARLES HOBHOUSE, and Sir JOHN JARDINE. Free
disclosure to all Members of Parliament, and no preferential treatment of
party-leaders, was their demand. Mr. BONAR LAW manfully resisted their
assaults, and the SPEAKER declined to accept a motion for the adjournment.
A word from Mr. ASQUITH would no doubt have quelled the storm, but as one
of the favoured few who are to receive the full Report he felt himself, I
suppose, precluded from saying it. The late Mr. LABOUCHERE would probably
have suggested that the difficulty should be solved, on the analogy of a
famous edition of MARTIAL, by issuing the Report as expurgated, together
wit
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