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A good deal has been said in regard to a

supposed pledge by Mr. Asquith to resign rather than extend the field of compulsion. We confess that that is not how we read his words. And we note that the special stress which is laid upon his words is used by those who are anxious to drive him from office. But even supposing that Mr. Asquith did last autumn mean to convey the impression that he would never go beyond the modicum of compulsion to which he then pledged himself, we can only say that the country would regard him not as a pledge-breaker but as a truly patriotic man if he now declared that as circumstances had so greatly changed, he must change his attitude with them.

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