12 JUNE 1915, Page 2

On Wednesday, while the House of Lords was discussing the

Munitions Bill, Lord Stanhope, who was at the front as lately as last Saturday and returned there on Thursday, made a striking speech in which he pointed out that while the French held their trenches chiefly by gunfire, the British held theirs principally by means of the rifle. The first system, he added, was expensive in ammunition, the second in life. That is perfectly sound criticism, to which no objection can be taken, for it involves no attempt to diminish the influence of the military chiefs. After Lord Curzon had stated that if further powers to requisition labour were required they would

be asked for in a separate measure, the House passed the Munitions Bill unanimously.