27 FEBRUARY 1915, Page 2

In the Commons on Tuesday Mr. Asquith stated that the

Government were examining the position of the Welsh Church Bill. Points submitted to them were being con- sidered, and there was some prospect of an agreement. Mr. Chamberlain discussed the scheme for pooling the financial resources of the Allies, and while generally approving of it, be thought it would be better for Belgium to raise a loan herself under the joint guarantee of the Triple Entente. A large joint loan, in his opinion, would tend to diminish the credit of each of the Attlee. Mr. Lloyd George said that he entirely agreed with this criticism, and he bad in fact proposed Mr. Chamberlain's plan at the Financial Conference, but one party to an arrangement could not have it all his own way. For the rest, Mr. Lloyd George declared that we ought to have a large reserve of gold and. use it freely whenever the emergency arose. The joint resources of the Allies were enormous. If these were wisely conserved, the ultimate victory was in our bands. The Attorney-General introduced a Bill for rendering financial assistance to Oxford and Cambridge Universities, which are patriotically bleeding themselves white in serving the country. The Universities, while asking for legislative help in making their new financial arrangements, do not ask for money from the taxpayer.