Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 152, June 27, 1917Various
History
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 152, June 27, 1917
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
In the course of the daily catechism on the subject of air-raids Mr.
MACMASTER inquired, "Why is it that Paris appears to be practically immune,
while London is not?" The answer came, not from the Front Bench, but from
the Chair, and was delivered in a tone so low that even the Official
Reporter failed to catch it. That is a pity, because it furnishes a useful
hint for Ministers. In future, when posed with futile or embarrassing
questions about the War, let them follow the SPEAKER'S example, and simply
say, "You must ask the KAISER!"
[Illustration: THE BETTER PART OF VALOUR.
_Sir Frederick Smith._ "WHAT'S THE GOOD OF STRUGGLING?"]
[Illustration: _Literary Dame_ (_at bookstall_). "HAVE YOU ANY BOOKS BY
THAT RISING YOUNG NOVELIST, LORD HUGH CECIL?".]
In a perfectly free division, in which Ministers and ex-Ministers were
mixed up together in both Lobbies, woman's right to be registered as a
Parliamentary elector was affirmed by 385 votes to 55. Some capital
speeches were made on both sides, but if any of them turned a vote it was
probably the cynical admission of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL that he was as much
opposed to female suffrage as ever, but meant to vote for it because it was
bound to come. This probably had an even greater effect upon the average
Member, who is not an idealist, than the nutshell novelette in which Lord
HUGH CECIL lightly outlined the possible future of the female politician.
_Wednesday, June 20th._--Military metaphors come naturally to the Duke of
MARLBOROUGH. Yet I cannot think he was happily inspired when, in reminding
the farmers of their duty to put more land under the plough, he compared
the compulsory powers of the Board of Agriculture to a sword in its
scabbard, and hoped there would be no necessity to rattle it. Everybody
knows that the sword in question is a converted ploughshare, and that it
rests with the War Office to turn it back again.
Last night fifty-five Members resisted Votes for Women. By this afternoon
twenty-five of them had so far changed their minds as to protest against
the limitation of the privilege to women over thirty. Major ROWLAND HUNT,
convinced that women would soon vote themselves into the House, expressed a
naive preference for "young 'uns."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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