Monday, May 22nd.—Mr. Asquith returned to his place to-day, looking all the better for his trip to Ireland. No one was more pleased to see him than Mr. Tennant, who had been subjected all last week to a galling fire from the Nationalist snipers. Mr. Timothy Healy had been especially active, employing for the purpose a weapon of unique construction. Although discharged at the Treasury Bench, its most destructive effect is often produced on the Members who sit just behind him. Mr. Dillon is particularly uneasy when Mr. Healy gets his gun out.
When Mr. Acland moved the Vote for the Board of Agriculture there were barely two-score of Members present. He made a capital speech, full of attractive detail and delivered with unbucolic gusto, but did not succeed in greatly increasing the number of his audience.
There was some excuse perhaps for the non-attendance of the Irish Members. They have an Agricultural Department of their own, presided over by an eminent temperance lecturer who teaches Irish farmers how to grow barley for the national beverage. But it might have been supposed that more Englishmen and Scotsmen would have torn themselves away from their other duties in the smoking-room or elsewhere to hear what the Government had to say about the shortage of labour in the fields.
Mr. Acland puts his faith in women. If the farmers would only meet them half-way the situation would be saved. Mr. Prothero thought the farmers' wives would have something to say about that. They did not like "London minxes trapesing about our farmyard." From their point of view conscientious objectors would be a safer substitute.
Tuesday, May 23rd.—Over ten years have passed since Sir Alfred Harmsworth became Baron Northcliffe, yet never until to-day, I believe, has he directly addressed his fellow-Peers, though it is understood that through other channels he has occasionally given them the benefit of his counsel.
His speech was a sad disappointment to those trade-rivals who have not scrupled to attribute his silence to cowardice or incompetence. No justification for such insinuations was to be found in his speech to-day. He had something practical to say—on Lord Montagu's motion regarding the Air-Service—and said it so briefly and modestly as to throw doubt upon the theory that he personally dictates all those leaders in The Times and The Daily Mail.
Colonel Hall-Walker took his seat to-day after a re-election necessitated by the transfer of his racing stud to the Government. Up to the present Ministers have found it a Greek gift. To-day they had to withstand a further attack upon their horse-racing proclivities by Lord Claud Hamilton, who, notwithstanding that he is chairman of the railway that serves Newmarket, denounced with great fervour the continuance during the War of this "most extravagant, alluring and expensive form of public amusement."
In introducing a Vote of Credit for 300 millions, making a total of £2,382,000,000 since August, 1914, the Prime Minister said very little about the War, except that we were still confident in its triumphant issue. Any omission on his part was more than made good by Colonel Churchill, who for an hour or more kept the House interested with his views on the proper employment of our Armies. Whenever he speaks at Westminster one is inclined to remark, "What a strategist!" whereas it is rumoured that his admiring comrades in the trenches used to murmur, "What a statesman!" One of his best points was that the War Office should use their men, not like a heap of shingle, but like pieces of mosaic, each in his right place. Colonel Churchill's supporters are still not quite sure whether he has yet found his own exact place in the national jigsaw.
Wednesday, May 24th.—The House of Lords was well attended this afternoon, in the expectation of hearing Lord Curzon unfold the programme of the new Air Board. But it had to exercise a noble patience. Lord Galway gave an account of a trip in a Zeppelin; Lord Beresford (who, strange to say, is much better heard in the Lords than he was in the Commons) told how the Government were still awaiting from America a large consignment of aeroplanes which as soon as they were delivered would be "obsolete six months ago"; and Lord Haldane (less impressive in mufti than when he wore the Lord Chancellor's wig) delivered once again his celebrated discourse on the importance of "thinking clearly."
Lord Curzon at least did not seem to require the admonition, for his speech indicated that he had carefully considered the possibilities of the Air Board. He did not agree with Colonel Churchill that its future would be one of harmless impotence or of first-class rows. At any rate the second alternative had been rendered less probable by the disappearance from the Government of his critic's own "vivid personality."