capacious coat-tails a shell which had fallen into his office during
the raid. His neighbours crowded round to examine it, until his remark
that it was "still unexploded" caused a slump in their curiosity.
There was once a statesman who, to emphasize his argument, flung a
dagger upon the floor of the House. For once the House was thankful
that Sir HENRY DALZIEL bears no resemblance to BURKE.

To warn or not to warn: that was the question mainly agitating
Members. The majority appeared to think that some system of
sound-signals was desirable; others pointed out that many threatened
raids proved abortive, and that sirens would interfere with business,
as in the leading case of Ulysses. Thanks to the HOME SECRETARY'S
conciliatory methods there was considerably less tension in the
atmosphere when the time came for the PRIME MINISTER to make his
statement. When air-raids are about there is nothing he finds handier
than a comfortable and capacious CAVE.

[Illustration: WORK OF "GREATER NATIONAL IMPORTANCE."

MR. SPEAKER MISSES A GREAT CHANCE.]

_Tuesday, July 10th_.--The echoes of the air-raid had almost died
away by this afternoon. When Mr. BILLING again tried to move the
adjournment, the SPEAKER put him back in his box with so firm a hand
that his spring may have been irretrievably injured. It is hoped that
the National Service Department, which recently sent Mr. LOWTHER
a notice informing him that he was about to be transferred to
Wolverhampton as a labourer at 4s. 10d. a day, "on the ground that
such employment is deemed to be of greater national importance than
that on which he is at present engaged," will now consent to hold its