Punch, or the London Charivari, page 19 by Various Authors
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something for them, either by billeting soldiers or by direct grants-in-aid?
Mr. HAYES FISHER in reply exuded sympathy at every pore. The previous speakers had, as he said, painted "a deplorable picture of gloom," and he laid on the colours from an even more opulent palette. But on the question of actual relief he was painfully indefinite. Billeting--that was a question for the War Office; grants--they were a matter for the Treasury. The East Anglers who thought their fish safely hooked had to go away empty.
Wednesday, May 31st.--Not content with having laid sacrilegious hands on the clock, the Government have now deranged the calendar and kicked Whit-Monday into August. But it is all in the good cause of piling up shells against the Bosches, so the House cheerfully approved the PRIME MINISTER'S announcement.
For some days there have been rumours of an impending attack upon Lord KITCHENER, to be led by Colonel CHURCHILL. Perhaps that was why Mr. TENNANT, who moved the Vote for the War Office, decided to get his blow in first. His short speech began with a jibe at his critic's strategical omniscience, though it is not true that he referred to him as "the right hon. and recently gallant gentleman"; proceeded with a denial of most of his assumptions, and ended with a high tribute to LORD KITCHENER'S prevision in raising a great army to cope with a long war.
Colonel CHURCHILL did not pick up the gage thus ostentatiously thrown down, but some of his friends were less discreet, and developed a close-range assault upon LORD KITCHENER. The PRIME MINISTER is never seen to greater advantage than when he is defending a colleague, and he declared that the WAR SECRETARY was personally entitled to the credit for the amazing expansion of the army.
Unofficial tributes were not wanting. Sir MARK SYKES asserted that in Germany the WAR SECRETARY was feared as a great organiser, while in the East his name was one to conjure with; and Sir GEORGE REID declared that his chief fault