It looks as if the scandal in Marconis was to
be followed by another in oil. Our readers may remember our recent article on the subject, followed about three weeks afterwards by the memorable statement in the Times. Since then the growl of this new monster has been heard continually in the press—a sound rendered all the more menacing by its vagueness. If these new rumours are not to turn out as injurious to our Public life as the old, there is only one thing to be done, that to treat them with the utmost frankness and candour, to put all the cards on the table at once, and to make it clear exactly how things and how individuals stand. As an example of the kind of suggestion that is being made we will select Major Archer-Shee's question addressed to the Prime Minister on Thursday : " Will the Prime Minister appoint a committee to examine the books of Montmorency and Company [the business name under which the absconding stockbroker, Mr. Fenner, traded], in view of published statements that invest- ments have been made—" What the end of the question was is not known, as the Speaker intervened to declare that notice of the question must be given. It is rumoured, how- ever, that the question was based upon the assertion that a large part of the Liberal Party funds was invested in the shares of an oil company, and that this oil company was either contracting or likely to contract with the Navy.
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