19 JANUARY 1918, Page 2

Another point which we dislike, but at which we cannot

pretend to be surprised, is that the authors write as though they represented the British people. In this they are wrong. Their views may happen to coincide with those of the British people, but this is a fortunate accident, and does not alter the fact that the British democracy is composed of the whole British nation with all its manifold elements. It may, perhaps, be assumed that the Labour manifesto has been published with the consent of the Government, as it has been telegraphed to Russia. Of course, if consent had not been obtained, one would have to say that the transmission of such a manifesto, virtually in the name of the British people, to Russia was an extremely irregular act likely to embarrass the Government. The manifesto concerns the making of peace; and the making of peace is the business of the Government, and of the Government alone, just as much as the responsibility for making war belongs to the Government alone.