THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT - - By NEW MEMBER.
WE have had a series of repeat-debates on unemploy- ment, trade facilities, Army and Navy estimates, and the like, in the course of which nothing new emerged. The HOuse, tired of voting apparently never-ending supplies, turned with relief to the discusSion onnthe Geneva debacle on Tuesday. Here -was a " full-dress " debate with the stage beautifully set, ambassadors in the gallery, an air of expectancy, and members stumbling over each other to get to their seats and indulging in silent push- fightS when they arrived there. .
The performance, as a performance, was a failure, due chiefly to the fact that Mr. Lloyd George, who led off, was seized with an attack of cold feet. He had already said and written such things about pOor Sir Austen, that he might as well have let himself go, and given us some fun for our money. But no. He allowed himself one fling at Poland, and apart from that the speech was hi faultless taste with lengthy quotations from the Times and Spectator. No word about " slobbering melodrama," not even , corked wine " to cheer us up !
Sir Austen (the star-turn) was greeted with 'roars of applause. He began well by remembering the Dominions, and went on - better, with a well-directed shaft at Mr. Lloyd George's activities in the Hearst Press. Then came a slight lapse, when he allowed himself to dilate upon his " friendship "- with the ex-Premier. But he soon got well under way again with a .closely -reasoned speech, which clearly impressed the House. . He was frank, and not too oracular. Unfortunately .he belongs to that school of politicians who regard a set " peroration " as essential to any speech. lie was finishing strongly at half-past five, and had he. only sat down then rather abruptly, he would have scored something like a-triumph. He actually went so far as to say " Sir, I have done." , Alas! he had not. That peroration feeling seized and conquered him. It was dreadful, and I do not dwell on it. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald must have been grateful for it, for he was gratuitously provided with a glorious opening for his speech, of the he took advantage. After his first sentences, the Leader of the Opposition was dull beyond belief, and far too long. But the Govern- ment can never complain that Mr. MacDonald either by word or deed increases their difficulties abroad.
Lord Hugh Cecil was brilliant, For the rest, Captain Eden was good, and Sir John Simon made the only corn- petent attack on the Foreign Secretary, after everyone had gone to dinner. Members returned in convivial mood to find that Mr. Thomas had introduced a pleasing element of farce into the proceedings. It was interesting to sec how bad Mr. Runciman could be on a subject un- connected with congestion at the ports, although the arrival of Colonel Campbell in a kilt, which seemed to throw him off his balance altogether, may have had something to do with his lamentable failure to score a point of any kind. The Prime Minister wound up with a speech which, as usual, pleased everybody, and the . proceedings ter- minated in an atmosphere of enormous good will and con-- gratulations all round. I suppose it is all right and that the League will pull itself together by September. The Economy Bill is the cause of a good deal of gloom among Unionists, for the Approved Societies have now awoken to the gravity of the position. That some opposition will be forthcoming from the Government benches is certain. The Electricity Bill is also causing a certain amount of Unionist dissension--the sides being reversed in this case. - But coal goes on satisfactorily, and that is the main thing.
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