We have no sympathy for Mr. Asquith's chief followers, who
richly deserved the Leeson that they have received. But we must confess that we regret Mr. Asquith's disappearance from the House in such circumstances. He has been weak in yielding, against his better judgment, to the advice of his subordinates since he left office, and in failing to control them when he was in power. But it would be the basest ingratitude to forget that Mr. Asquith, more than any other man, was responsible for the wise and prompt decision of the Government to go to the help of Belgium and Franco in August, 1914, and that he conducted the war for two perilous years, and secured unanimous approval for Conscription at a very critical moment in our history. More- over, Mr. Asquith, whatever his faults may be, has always shown himself a statesman of high principle and an advocate of moderate courses. In these exciting times Mr. Asquith's steadying influ- ence will be missed at Westminster by his opponents as well as by his friends.
