r. Intermingled
with his narration of the varied and wonderful achievements of the
Fleet, past and present, his description of the constant efforts to
increase it both in ships and men, and his quietly confident prophecy
that with this sure shield we might face the future in cheerful
serenity, there were little sidethrusts at an imaginary critic. Some
people had been silly enough to suggest that the new Board of Admiralty
was so content with what had been done by "my right hon. and learned--I
beg his pardon--gallant friend" that it had adopted a policy of "rest
and be thankful". But there was no justification for "a certain kind of
sub-acid pessimism that sometimes reaches my ears", and he must be a
poor-spirited creature who, having been happy about the Navy in August,
1914, could be depressed about in March, 1916.

Then Colonel CHURCHILL proceeded to put the cap on. He has been studying
the problems of sea-power in the trenches of Flanders, and the process
has led him to gloomy conclusions. Suppose the Germans have been
building more ships than we have: suppose they have put into them bigger
guns than we wot of; suppose they were to come out at their selected
moment and found us at our average moment.... The House was beginning to
be a little weary of these depressing hypotheses when it was suddenly
brought up all standing by the discovery that the orator was delivering
a eulogy on Lord Fisher. He was the man who got things done in a hurry.
He was the man who had the driving power. They had "parted brass-rags"
over Gallipoli, it was true; but by-gones were by-gones. Having been
away for some months, his mind was now clear (irreverent laughter), and
he had come to recognise that his former foe was the only possible First
Sea Lord.

It must have been a little embarrassing for Lord FISHER to sit still and
hear his praises thus chanted. But it is difficult to escape from the
seat over the Clock without treading upon other people's toes, and this
Lord FISHER is notoriously averse from doing. The moment, however, that
Colonel CHURCHILL had finished he left the Gallery; but before he could
wholly emerge he had to suffer the further shock of being cheered by
some over-enthusiastic admirers behind him. It was a pity he left so
soon, for later Sir HEDWORTH MEUX, fresh from Portsmouth, had some
things to say which would not have compelled his blushes.

_Wednesday, March 8th._--Members wondered yesterday why no reply to
Colone