NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE air during the past week has been full of rumours as to the possibility of the break-up of the Ministry. We have heard of" audacious intrigues" to overthrow the Coalition Cabinet, or at any rate to get rid of Mr. Asquith, and to replace him by "X," "the great Unknown "—that Chatham of the minute whom all men desire but none seem willing to call by his name. Apparently the mighty creature's identity is well known in certain newspaper offices, but for some reason or other they refuse absolutely to give even a clue to his identity. The secret is guarded so sedulously that we can only surmise a magic spell which would destroy the man of the hour the moment his name was mentioned. All we really know about him, indeed, is that he and the noble company who surround him and will support him to the death are—" a great deal better than the present lot—they would be pretty rotten if they weren't!"
