The Military Serviee Bill was read a third time in
the House of Commons on Monday. The little group of Asquithian Liberals divided the House against the Bill, but mustered only 64 votes against 282 for the Government. Their opposition to a measure which is obviously essential if we am to finish the war with a victorious Peace looks like an insincere political manoeuvre. If the war were over and the Peace secure, they might rebuke the Government fornot fulfilling their pledge to abolish Conscription. As the war-is not over and the Peace is still far away, the Liberal minority's pretence that the Government have broken their word was as disingenuous as it was unpatriotic. If the Bill had been rejected, our armies would be disbanded before the new Voluntary Army could be raised, and Germany would be en couraged to take up arms again. The Opposition, of course, knew very well that the Bill would pass, and would prot ably have been *aghast if it had been thrown out. But they have given our Allies and the enemy a false impression of the British temper, and have thus done much harm to the Allied cause at a very critical moment in the Peace negotiations. If Mr. Asquith had been in the House, he would, we imagine, have prevented the Liberal remnant from making this exhibition of reckless partisanship.
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