The question of the naval policy of the Government was
raised in the House of Lords on Wednesday by Lord Cawdor in a long and critical speech. In reply Lord Tweedmouth reiterated the familiar statement that it was absolutely essential that we should hold the command of the sea, and 'reminded the House that both the Prime Minister and Mr. 'Asquith had accepted in the most decided manner the two- Power standard. Definitions of the two-Power standard 'differed, and he preferred as ampler his own formula—any reasonable and probable combination of other foreign' Powers— to that of his predecessors,—viz., the two next strongest Powers plus ten per cent. He by no means encouraged the repetition of the construction of the ' Dreadnought' in thirteen months. The three "Nmeraires' were infinitely better than the 'Dread- nought,' the three St. Vineents ' would again be a great advance on the Temeraires,' and in the spring of 1911 'no Power in the world would have such a fleet of first-class battleships as we should have. Mr. John Redmond, speaking at the Free-Trade Hall, Man- chester, on Saturday last, made a very important declaration of policy both as regards Home-rule and the education question. They most face the fact that the hands of the Government were tied on the question of the introduction of Gladstonian Home-role during this. Parliament. , But their first duty was to take care that this did not happen again, and to force the question of full Home-rule once more to the front in every constituency in Great Britain. He confidently antici- pated that his Motion in favour of full Ho.me-iule would be supported by an overwhelming majority of the House of Commons and the entire Cabinet in the next fortnight. Apart from Home-rule, he believed this Session would witness the creation of a national University in Ireland. Turning to the Education Bill, he objected to the principle of any scheme of contracting out which would put on Roman Catholic schools the badge of inferiority. If the scheme had to be adopted as a last resort to save them, it would be necessary to insist on a largely increased grant. It will be curious to see how Mr. Redmond's views on the education question are received by the Nonconformists.
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