The Government had to withstand a massed attack by the Free Traders, who even in war-time have not entirely shed their prejudices against subsidizing the farmer at the expense of the rest of the community, although the object of the subsidies is to ensure the rest of the community having enough to eat.  Mr. RUNCIMAN and his colleagues had the temerity to take a division which ran very much upon the old party-lines; but on this occasion the Nationalists, in the interest of Irish farmers, were not “agin’ the Government,” but helped it to secure the comfortable majority of 84.

Wednesday, July 11th.—­In the matter of the Mesopotamia Report a large section of the public and the Press is in the mood of Sam Weller, “Ain’t nobody to be whopped?” Anxious to satisfy this demand and at the same time to do justice to the individuals arraigned, the Government proposes to set up a special tribunal under the Army (Courts of Inquiry) Act.  That measure, passed to deal with the strange case of the Bashful Lieutenant and the Lively Lady, and now to be utilized for this considerably larger issue, appears to resemble the elephant’s trunk in its singular adaptability.  But there was a tendency in both Houses to regard the procedure as more ingenious than statesmanlike.

Thursday, July 12th.—­The HOME SECRETARY announced that it had been decided to warn the public in future when an air-raid was actually imminent, and added that the exact method would be stated shortly.  I am glad that he did not accept Sir FRANCIS LOWE’S proposal to set the telephone-bells ringing all over London.  Think of the language which would proceed from a hundred thousand agitated subscribers, deceived into answering supposed “calls,” when they ought to be making for their dug-outs.

The gist of a very long speech by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL was that the Press had mistaken the Mesopotamia Commission for a Hanging Committee, whereas it much more resembled a Fishing Expedition.  But his new tribunal found little favour with the House, especially when it was discovered that it would have no power to try the civilians affected.  One of them, Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, announced his resignation—­much to the regret of Mr. BALFOUR, who has no intention of following his example or of allowing Lord HARDINGE to do so.  In the end it was decided that there must be an entirely new tribunal, which can deal fairly—­and, one hopes, finally—­with both soldiers and civilians.  But it is now even betting that the Mesopotamia laundry-work will outlast the duration of the War.

* * * * *

[Illustration:  Visitor to a country churchyard (seeing elderly gentleman listening hard, presumably to the choir singing in the church).  “IT’S VERY BEAUTIFUL, ISN’T IT?”

Elderly gentleman (naturalist, listening to the grasshoppers).  “AND THE WONDERFUL THING IS THAT THEY DO IT BY RUBBING THEIR LEGS TOGETHER.”]