Before we leave Mr. Asquith's speech we must summarize some
of the figures quoted by him. Up till now, and including the Vote of Wednesday night, Parliament has voted something like £3,132,000,000. The daily average cost of the war is five millions. Of this the amount lent to the Allies and the Dominions reaches the enormous total of £253,000,000. Of this item the Prime Minister pointed out that there was no part of our expenditure which was more important to the Allied cause than that which fell under this head. We had no selfish interests in the matter. We are not profiting thereby. He added : "Although the expenditure under this head is growing beyond the careful estimate of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it is an expenditure which I do not regret, and which I am perfectly sure that the Hous will not ask the Government to curtail."
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