Mr. Redmond, obviously disgusted by the pranks of his nominal supporter, chivalrously shouldered part of the blame that Mr. Birrell had taken upon himself; and even Sir Edward Carson, though a life-long and bitter opponent of his policy, was ready to admit that he had been well-intentioned and had done his best.
Later on, when the Prime Minister had introduced the new Military Service Bill, establishing compulsion for all men married or single, Colonel Craig made a vain appeal to Mr. Redmond to get the measure extended to Ireland. Nothing would do more to show the world that the recent rebellion was only the work of an insignificant section of the Irish people.
HIS MASTER'S VOICE.
(With acknowledgments to the well-known poster.)
Mr. Lloyd George to Mr. Holt, who moved the rejection of the Bill.
Thursday, May 4th.—Although Mr. Ginnell was one of the Members to whom the Government were ready a week ago to impart secrets of State with which the Press was not deemed fit to be trusted, I gather that he has other sources of information which he considers much more trustworthy. Among various tit-bits with which he regaled the House this afternoon was a suggested reason why British aircraft have not yet bombarded Essen. He has his suspicions that it is because members of the British Cabinet have shares in some of Frau Krupp's subsidiary companies.
Most people know that all leave from the Front was stopped just before Easter, and have hitherto assumed that the stoppage was due to the exigencies of the military situation. To Mr. Peto, an earnest seeker after truth, as befits his name, Mr. Tennant admitted that there was another reason. Last year, it seems, some returning warriors got so much mixed up in the congested Easter traffic that they never reached home at all, so this year the authorities resolved to keep them out of the danger-zone.
The Government welcomes any suggestion that may help to win the War. Mr. Eugene Wason's latest idea is that if the War Office and the Admiralty were to put their heads together they might make it easier for outdoor artists in Cornwall to obtain permits to pursue their studies, at present restricted, in military areas; and Mr. Tennant assured him that this important matter was still "under consideration."
The Second Reading of the Military Service Bill brought forth some rather trite arguments from Mr. Holt and other opponents of compulsion, and a lively defence from Mr. Lloyd George, who thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity, after a long silence, of being able to speak his mind without fear of complications with his colleagues. With examples drawn from France and the American Civil War he argued that compulsory service was an essential incident of true democracy. But an even more effective backing for the Bill came from Mr. Arthur Henderson. Hitherto, according to his own description, "the heaviest drag-weight of the Cabinet," he now lent it increased momentum, and carried with him into the Lobby all but nine of his colleagues of the Labour Party. Altogether, Sir John Simon and his friends mustered just three dozen, and the Second Reading was carried against them by a majority of 292.