4 NOVEMBER 1916, Page 14

No doubt this was a muddle, but. we _cannot agree

with the newspapers which seem to think that it will have a bad effect on the Administration. The-nation just now cares very little about what happens in Parliament, though no doubt it is quite determined that the right to vote shall be if possible more easily won by reed. dense) in the trenches than in -the smug security of " The Dug-out, Ypres Avenue, Brixton." We are strongly against a trench election one which could not be held under conditions likely to produce

a fair and reasonable exercise of electoral right*: This is, however. ground not for depriving soldiers of the vote, but only for not holding an election till they can exercise the electoral rights they have won by their gallantry and their patriotism with the fullest possible exercise of power. We want a soldiers' General Election, but not till the war is over and it can be held under proper conditions.