From the Daily Mail, January 18th, 1917. "The appointment of Mr. Balfour as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was neither suggested nor approved by the Daily Mail, but (The" but "leads up to a depreciation of Viscount Grey.) What a horrible position for poor Mr. Balfour-to think that he holds office neither nominated nor approved by the Daily Mail. The only worse fate for a Minister would be that he was so nominated! Still the wind bloweth where it listeth, and we all run the risk that at some time or other we may be branded as Al (for the time being) at Carmelite House. From the Morning Post, January 8th, 1917. "What folly thus to dissipate energy, when, although the Allied Armies on land have gained the mastery over the enemy, his armed forces at sea are still undestroyed and his piracies daily enlarge the tale of his crimes! " It will come as something of a surprise to learn that she is beaten on land, but not beaten at sea. The Magazines for February. In THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND AFTER Mr. Charles E. Mallet writes on No Peace Without Victory; the Bishop of Carlisle on Some Perils of Peace; Mr. John Leyland on The Great Naval Blockade; Sir Francis Piggott on The Passing of the Cabinet ; the Earl of Dunraven on Diet and Debt; Dr. Arthur Shadwell on The Liquor Traffic in War; Mr. A. Yusuf Ali on India's Effort: Is it Sufficiently Understood?; Mr. B. Seebohm Rowntree on Towards Industrial Efficiency; and Mr. C. K. Ogden on Industrial Fatigue. IN THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEW are A National System of Education for England and Wales by Lord Gainford (the Rt. Hon. Joseph A. Pease); The Theory of Trade War by the Rt. Hon. J. M. Robertson, M.P.; and Food Control and Hasty Decisions by Mr. Walter W. Berry. THE FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW contains the following: Germany's Latest Crime by Professor Leon Van der Essen; The Cabinet Revolution by Mr. Sidney Low; The Problem of Peace by Politicus"; The Two Germanies by Mr. Archibald Hurd; On Treaties of Peace by Mr. Arthur A. Baumann; German Intrigues in the Near East by Mr. H. Charles Woods; The Balance of Trade in 1916 by Mr. H. J. Jennings; and President Wilson's Pro-Ally Propaganda by Mr. J. D. Whelpley. THE INDEX to Volume XXIV., completed by the January number of THE LIBERAL MAGAZINE, is now ready. A copy will be sent post free to any subscriber on application to the Liberal Publication Department, 42, Parliament Street, S.W. THE bound volume of the LIBERAL MAGAZINE for 1916 (Volume XXIV.) is now ready, and may be obtained for 5s. 6d. post free from the Liberal Publication Department, 42, Parliament Street, S.W. THE LIBERAL YEAR BOOK FOR 1917 is now ready. Orders for quantities (at special rates) and for single copies can now be sent to the Liberal Publication Department, 42, Parliament Street, S.W. We shall be very grateful if present subscribers to THE LIBERAL MAGAZINE will send us the names of any of their friends who would be likely to subscribe for the MAGAZINE. 1917. THE DIARY OF THE MONTH. February 1.-Mr. Asquith at Ladybank on the War. Sir F. E. Smith at Cardiff on Sea-Power. Mr. Prothero at Maidstone on Food Growing. 4.-North Roscommon By-Election consequent on 687. 5.-Dublin University By-Election consequent on the appointment of Sir J. Campbell (U) Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Number of Registered Electors-4,138. Mr. A. Samuels, K.C. (U) - 1,481. 679-802. (1) Mr. Lloyd George on his National Government. Unop. "Two great men have spoken this week from non-party platforms, one of them the eminent statesman (Mr. Balfour) who has taken charge in this trying hour of the important office of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whose brilliant memorandum attached to the Allied reply to America is one of the most striking documents of the war; the other is the distinguished Leader of the Liberal Party (Mr. Asquith), both of them appealing to the nation to sink differences and disputes, party and personal, and to unite for the common great end that the nation is putting its strength into achieving. I have the honour of being called to the Leadership of the National Government-a non-party Government, none the less a Government in which three Parties are represented, and in which I am perfectly certain it is a matter of regret for every member of the three parties that the fourth (the Irish Nationalist) has not been able to join. And although we can recognise no party during the war the people of this country have the Party habit so thoroughly ingrained in their nature that even in order to attain national unity it was desirable that the three parties should be repre sented in any National Government, and they are fully represented and substantially represented." 1917. February 5.-Rotherham By-Election consequent on the elevation of Mr. J. A. Pease (L) to the Peerage. Unopposed return of Mr. A. Richardson (L). Number of Registered Electors-22,973. 6. Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. A. Henderson, Mr. 7. Opening of Parliament by their Majesties in House of Lords. King's Speech. (See page 66.) House of Commons. King's Speech-Address in Mr. Hodge at Walworth Road Baths on 8.-House of Lords. Formal Business. House of Commons. King's Speech-Address agreed to. Mr. Leslie Scott's amendment on the development of food production negativedSpeeches by Mr. Prothero and Capt. Bathurst. 9. Mr. Bonar Law at Liverpool on the War Loan, 10. Mr. Prothero at Preston on Agriculture and the War. Sir John Simon at Kingsway Hall on Woman Suffrage. 12.-House of Commons. Supply-Votes of Credit for £550,000,000 agreed to. (See page 94.) Speeches by Mr. Bonar Law and Mr. McKenna. 13.-House of Lords. Submarine Menace-Speeches by Lord Lytton, Lord Selborne and Lord Curzon. (See page 95.) (1) Dr. Addison on the Output of Munitions. "If they took the average weekly output of light field ammunition from July, 1915, to June, 1916, and then in the last completed week of January, and compared them, the figure would be in the first average of weeks 6, and in January 22. For medium guns in the first period it would be 7, and in January 76. For heavy guns-and this was where we were beating the "Boche "-the first figure would be 22, and the figure for the last week in January 365. The British Army owed that overwhelming preponderance of heavy artillery to the genius and foresight of Mr. Lloyd George." (2) Sir George Cave on the Restriction of the Liquor Traffic. "If and so far as it is necessary to restrict the output of intoxicating liquor, in order to maintain the food supplies of the country, the Government are prepared to take every step necessary to be taken. If we find it necessary or desirable, in order to promote the effective carrying on of the war, to ask the people to go to further lengths in the direction of sacrifice, I am quite sure we should not hesitate for a moment, and I am sure, also, there need be no doubt as to the response. The country has never failed to respond to any request made in the spirit which I have indicated. We must, however, deal with the facts of the case. We are not entitled to go beyond the needs of the country. We must rely upon our experts, and upon those who advise us, and the question has been, and is, how far is it necessary, for the purpose of conserving our food supplies, to restrict the output of intoxicating liquor, and to call upon our people to support us in that action? The announcement that was made, namely, that we proposed to reduce by legislation the output of beer by 40 per cent. on the 1915 figure or 30 per cent. on the output for this year, was made with the full approval of the Food Controller, and on a statement definitely made by him that he considered the reduction sufficient on the facts which he then had before him. But I want to say quite clearly that we do not bind ourselves to that reduction of 40 per cent. on the 1915 figures or 30 per cent. on this year. If it appears necessary that a further reduction should be made, I have not the least doubt we shall have from the Food Controller a statement of the fact, and we shall not hesitate to take any steps necessary in that direction." (3) Mr. Runciman on the Restriction of the Liquor Traffic. "Those who like drink best can get on perfectly well without alcohol. Body and soul can be kept together without it, but I am afraid we cannot apply that statement to flour and wheat. Unless you have flour and wheat, or an efficient substitute-and the only substitutes are potatoes or cereals-it is impossible for the efficiency of our people to be maintained. On every ground-on the ground of public opinion not standing any rationing of food, so long as our manufacture of drink is maintained at anything like its present level; on the ground of the necessity for maintaining at the fullest our food supplies, not only for our security but in order that our working classes may be maintained in their maximum of efficiency; on every ground economy points in one direction, and that is in the direction of a reduction in the amount of cereals used in the manufacture of drink. As the need becomes greater, necessity will point in the direction of the total suspension of the manufacture of drink during the present war. Personally I do not believe that any particular harm would be done if the sale of drink were totally prohibited; on the contrary, much good would be done. But whether public opinion would stand that or not I am quite unable to say.” |