The beat commentary on these weekly records is to be
found neither in the boasts of Admiral von Capelle and the confident predictions of Dr. Lehmann, the founder of the Commercial Sub- marine Company which owns or owned the Deutschland,' nor yet in the complacent optimism of certain of our naval critics. We find it in the message sent by the late First Lord of the Admiralty and the First Sea Lord to the IronandSteelTrades Confederation, and published in Tuesday's papers. They impress on all engaged in building or repairing ships " how serious are the times in which we live." Every day merchan t ships, which bring food to the people and supplies to the Army, are being sunk, and we need to use" all our resources to prevent our being threatened with starvation." What about beer ? we would auk. What about the grain that is condemned to be destroyed as food in order to be turned into drink ? Is not that part of " all our resources " ? By some extraordinary conjuring in logic, the Government seem to have decided that it is not. But those whose logic is of the ordinary kind cannot help feeling that the Government have enormously weakened the force of the appeal which they might otherwise have made with great effect,
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