Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-15

eye: Russia must be conquered first and
then Franee--Russia firstr'
During this row and chaos. Sir William
Harcourt rose, seeming to wish TO speak.
labor member, who had been talking
at the speakers chair. rushed away. Or
der, Order!' cried the speaker, rising AL
most instantly the house resumed its quiet
and sat once more stern and impressive In
nNe minutes II had spent its exuberance.
NOW 1t was the parliament of Britain again.
IL was noticed now, with wonder. that
Sir William was at the treasury bench In
stead of on the opposition side. Mr. Bal
four near him, was leaning his head on
his hands, In pose of absolute weariness
Sir William said:
am asked. sir. to say a few words
by the leader of the house IL was his in
tention to add few brief words to what
he has already said: but the mental strain
put upon him during the last few DAYS has
lett him In a state of practical collapse
The right honorable gentleman has asked
me to supply his place If II should seem
strange to any honorable member that the
leader of the opposition snould be asked to
supply the place of the leader OF the house,
can only reply that the opposition now
consists OF the countries OF Russia France
and Germany; in this country, certainly
there Is no longer an opposition. cloud
cheers.) j believe II to be a fact sir that
If the rulers of the continental empires in
question had had any kind OF conception of
the real temper of the nation which they
nave wantonly and cruelty attacked, they
tatcd. 1t is country hard TO conquer, sir
"a race hard to quell; at least. it will be a
united race and country. Liberal and raii-
cal and tory shall henceforth lose their
utles In the common appellation of SOL
der. there shall be no more Orapgeman
and no more Parnellite: these shall merge
their names In the common name of pa
tr1ot The moment is great: but England is
great, too, and equal to the moment (Pro-
Ionged cheering) have risen to announce
Sir, that the chiefs OF the former opposI-
ton have this hour come from a meeting
IN downing street, which we were requested
to attend by the leader of the house with a
view to the formation between us of a per-
manent committee of public safety I wish
also to state that an immediate reduction of
the interest on conSolS and government stock
from two and three-quarters to one and a
hait per cent is proposed; that q tax on
professional incomes exceeding Ell 900
considerably in excess of the present rate
has been agreed upon: and that the house
VIII be asked to read three times and report
today-for II is possible that hostMities have
already commemorate bill granting to the
government a sum of seventy-fve million
pounds for war expenses
After this. with perfectly business-like
calm and grasp of details, the house bro
ceeded 10 the matter in hand getting
through a mass of work with a CELEBRITY
which astonished Itself. Ne:1r @ l. rose.
An hour previously the sergeaIi.-at- arms,
attended by 4 mass of city functionaries
had declared < against the three coun-
tries from the steps Of the Royal Exchange.
Meanwhile, the news had gone like Wild
IRE through the country, and everywhere It
met with the same Indignation, scorn and
hard-headed pride. 1t was not as Sir Will
lam Harcourt had shrewdly said a par
ticularly easy task which the nations OF
Europe had undertaken.
England might break but Il was already
clear that She was not fashioned of she kind
of steel-which could be made to bend.
(To be continued tomorrow