We are glad to say that the Cabinet after all
refused to be " filmed " at a Council in order to supply a turn at the "Movies.' It is easy to imagine how the unfortunate proposal came about. Some seductive impresario, whether amateur or professional, painted out that if only the Cabinet would allow a camera to be put up in the room while they were at work, the film would have a huge vogue as a topical war picture, and charitable objects would profit to the extent of thousands of pounds. The majority of the Cabinet seem at first to have assented. After all, they thought, these are not the times to refuse to help in any way you can, and though thie
may be a strange way it will bring in the money. If the whole thing had been done on the spur of the moment it might have passed without much comment. But it was not a proposal that bore talking about. "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly." Directly it was talked about it was universally seen that an indiscretion—a virtuous indiscretion no doubt—had been committed. It would not do for the Cabinet to be " presented " in a film which " featured " this, that and the other, and in the result awarded, by odious comparison, the palm of art to Charlie Chaplin.
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