Io is to be hoped that Japsn will accept gratefully, and without any feeling of cynical amusement, the somewhat sudden declarations of English political leaders in favour of a continuance of the Anglo-Japanese alliance. On Wednesday night Sir Edward Grey, declared that the Liberals were quite as strongly in favour of © maintenatice of the alliunco as the Conservatives, and that a change of Government would certainly make" difference in the policy of Great Britain in the Far East. Last 1 Lend Lansdowne, speaking in place of the Prime Minister at a banquet from which Mr. Balfour was kept away by indisposi tion, "went one better" than Sir Edward by declaring that the Consorvati favour of not merely maintain strengthening the alliance. Japan may naturally feel inclined to this enthusiasm would hi marked if she had met with a reverse instead "of winning a victory, As a matter of fact, it would have made no difference to our policy. Had Rassia proved victorious in this war the alli political loaders on both es should have waited for Japan's crown victor before making these denis ments of policy. experts for not] more to protect the rights of other use: of the roads. One member acensod Mr.
Long of having broken a ploilge which he gavgon this subject when ho was Prosident of theLoeal Government Board. Mr. Long immediately jumped to his foet; and after making a very successful defence he concluded with this pertinent sentence: "A charge of Lrenking a pledyo is a most serious charge to mako against any Minister, and when made it should be met as soon as made." Itis hardly to be supposed that Mr. Long deliberately intended to administer a rebuke to his chief for his conduct on Monday week; the probability is that he spoke in mere tactless forgetiuluess of the scone of Monday week; but the Opposition us ay be imagined so the bearing of the observation, and Me, Long got such a Durst of cheeriigs from his opponents as probably he never provoked before.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.