Lord ROBERT had, however, his own quarrel with the Government,
who, according to his account, had done nothing to set Central Europe on
its legs again, except to send it a certain amount of food--not, one would
would have thought, an altogether bad preliminary.
It was a pity that Mr. BALFOUR had not a stronger indictment to answer, for
he was dialectically at his best. After complimenting the Opposition leader
on his "charming tones and anodyne temper" he proceeded to take up his
challenge--"if I may call it a challenge." If Germany was in doubt as to
the amount she might be called upon to pay, she had her remedy, for the
Peace Treaty especially provided that she might offer a "lump sum." The
list of war-criminals was long, no doubt, but we had limited our own
demands to those who were guilty of gratuitous brutality. As for the
condition of Central Europe, that was not the fault of the Peace Treaty, it
was the fault of the War, and this country had done all it reasonably could
to remedy it.
The Opposition insisted on taking a division, and were beaten by 254 to 60.
So far the "doomed Coalition" seems to be doing rather well.
* * * * *
A SINGLE HOUND.
When the opal lights in the West had died
And night was wrapping the red ferns round,
As I came home by the woodland side
I heard the cry of a single hound.
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