The dignity and good feeling of Lord Hardinge's defence un-
doubtedly impressed the House, though wa do-not suppose that any one fancied the findings of the Mesopotamie.n Commission to be in any way shaken. The value of the statement, which we heartily welcome (though in making it Lord-Hardinge was of course enjoying a privilege as a Peer which-is not open to other Civil Servants), was that it reminded the public that they ought to take into considera- tion circumstances which were very properly outside the purview of the Commission. In this connexion we would direct the attention of our readers to a striking letter in this issue froin Loki. Hugh Cecil. The letter, as coming from-a signatery-of the Mesopotamian Report, is of special weight and :force.. The public. • are always ' demanding publicity, and we think, rightly so, but if they are going to become " fighting-drunk," as Lord Hugh Cecil says, after a draught from the well of truth, the result will be that no more pails will be sent down into that well. Thus the public will quickly lose, through their own fault, a concession for which they have long-been contending. We have written on the whole subject elsewhere.
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