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LONDON NOTES! '
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.
LONDON. 4th April...
Although the London newspapers pave to
eneli day's proceedings of the Marconi com
mittee when Cabinet Ministers gave evi
dence six to eight columns of space, the
general public has shown very little inter
est in the 'evidence. Except in political
circles there has been no great interest
exhibited in the examination nnd cross-
examination of Mr. Lloyd-George nnd Sit
Rufus. Isaacs before the iviureoni committee.
But there bos been keen interest in the
evidence on r tho Continent, nnd particu
larly in Germany. The lack of interest'
on t'lic part of, the British public is due
to the fact that the Ministers Who have
given evidence have not been called upon
to answer any damaging charges. No
witnesses have appeared in support' of tho
charges of corruption against Ministers.
Mr. W. R. Lavvson, the financial expert
who was the author of most of the articles
attacking Ministers, and hinting at corrup
tion, which appeared in the "National
Review" und tho "Outlook," withdrew
practically all lite statements when cross-
examined before the committee, and Mix
J. L. Maxsc, the editor of tlio "National
Review," although he refused to withdraw
anything nnd resolutely persisted in the
belief that Ministers did dabble in Marconi
shares, made no attempt to produce any
evidence of a practical kind, and sheltered
himself behind the plea that the informa
tion in his possession ,was given confiden
tially, and that he could not betray his
trust by disclosing names.
There luis been more than a tinge of
party politics in the newspaper criticism
of the disclosures made before the Mar
coni committee. Tlio Ministerial oi-gans
declared triumphantly that the Attorney-
General (Sir Rufus Isaacs) nnd the Chan
cellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Lloyd-George)
have come triumphantly through tho or-
Heal, and tliey call upon tho Government
to prosecute the authors of the slanders
nnd "foul lies" directed against the liouor
of Ministers. The Unionist newspapers,
while admitting that a party triumph
gained at the expense of the honor of
Ministers of any Cabinet would ho an
occasion .for sorrow rather than jov. lay
emphasis on the nature of the transac
tions -of the two Cabinet Ministers in the
shares of the American Marconi company.
They insist that, although the American
Marconi company could not benefit finan
cially out of the contract made by tlio
Briljsh Postmaster-General with the Eng
lish Marconi company for the establish
ment of a chain of wireless stations to
link up the Empire, they obtained shares
in the American Marconi company on
such conditions as to; place themselves
under an obligation to Mr. Godfrey Isaacs,
the chairman of the English Marconi
company, at a time when the contract
between the latter company and tlio Post
master-General had not been ratified by
Parliament. But although Ministers have
emerged from the inquiry with their honor
untarnished as far ns their financial deal
ings are concerned, there remains the fact
tlrnt when Sir Rufus Isaacs nnd Air. Lloyd-
George virtuously protested in the House
of Commons that they had had no deal
ings in the shares of the Marconi com
pany, neither of them exhibited sufficient
candor to mention that lie held shares in
the American Marconi company. Their
explanation that the reason they did not
do so is that there is 110 connection be
tween the two cuinpauies in puerile. If
they had desired to be candid they would
have told the House about their denlingB
in tlio shares of the American Marconi
company, and at the same time declared
that there is no connection between the
companies.
The iioints in the evidence before the
Marconi committee on which the public
did display some interest were those throw
ing light on the private lives of Ministers
of the' Cabinet and their relations to ona
another.. Sir Rufus Isaacs admitted be
fore the committee that lie is a compara
tively rich limn, and Mr. Lloyd-George
declared that lie is a poor one. The pri
vate income of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer amounts to £400 a year, and this
is obtained from investments lie has made
out of money saved from bis salary of
£5000 a year as Chancellor. He told tho
committee that, as the salary and glories
of a Cabinet Minister are of a transitory
nature, ho had adopted the precaution of
saving money out of his salary so as to
provide for his future. Ho complained of
tho impression which had been created in
the country by newspapers politically op
posed to him that, although he was a
champion of the poor, be luid amassed
great wealth during his political career,
it had been suggested that be owned seve
ral "mansions," but' the only house he
possessed was one which ho had built at a
cost of £2000, the money having been
saved out of liis. salary.
Liberal members of Parliament were
looking forward to a quiet session this
year after the strenuous time they spent
last session, which extended over thirteen
months, with an interval of a few weeks
in the summer. But, although the new ses
sion is only a few days old, they realise
that their hopes of a quiet time arc to be
disappointed. It is not that the Govern
ment intends to introduce much important
legislation which will demand the constant
attendance of Ministerialists ut the House,
but thul; the Opposition is on. tho watch
for opportunities of defeating the Govern
ment; by snap divisions. Tlie Opposition
achieved the feat of defeating tlie Govern,
mont towards the end of last sessiqn by a
snap division on one of the. financial pro-,
visions of the Home Rule Bill, and last
week it all but succeeded in securing a
victory on Unconsolidated Fund Bill when
it was in committee. The bill was purely a
fonnal one, und the Government did not
expect that a division would be called for.
But the Opposition bad laid its plans a
week ago, and had even recalled members
who were holidaying on the Riviera. Tlio
numbers were agaiust the Government
when a division was called for, but Air.
Handel Booth, a Ministerial supporter, who
bad scented danger, managed to convince
the Chairman that he was on his feet- to
address the House before the Chairman
had ordered a division. Air. Booth kept on
Ilia feet for half an hour, though he had
very little to say; but the situation was
saved. Liberals were urgently called in.
from all quarters, and when 'the division
was taken the Government lmd a majority
of 39. Since them the Liberal whips have
taken extra precautions to liave Liberal
members in attendance. It is not sufficient
for a Liberal member to supply tho whips
with his town address and his telephone
number. If be intends to pay a visit- to a
friend be must inform the whips before
hand, and give the telephone number of bis
friend. If lie has an appointment with a
lady lie must tell . the whips all about it,
so that ho can be summoned to thu House
at short notice. Business men in the
'House of Commons cannot get nway to at
tend to their private affairs, and now liav"
their secretaries in attendance on them at
the House. It is- only, the 'Ministerial, sup
porters who have to endure the strain, for
tlie average member of the Opposition can
stay away until he is wanted to" take part
in a snap division. Mr. Lough, a .Radical
member, lias suggested to the Premier, that
the procedure of the House should be al
tered, so as to provide for divisions being
taken at fixed times. This is a suggestion
which would give an air of placidity to the
proceedings in the House, but it is. not
likely to be adopted. The time will come
when the Liberals avail be out of office, and
xviU be glad of the opportunity of defeating
the Government of the day in a snap
division.
The "Daily Mail," in announcing it3
offer of two more prizes of £10,000 and
£5000 for aviators, has found it necessary
to emphasise what it means by a water-
plane. It makes a distinction between a
wnterplanc and a -hydroplane, but although
the distinction is easy to follow the general
public will continue to call a waterplune a
hydroplane, ns it has done in. the past. A
hydroplane is a machine which skims along
tlie surface of the water, but cannot rise
out of the water. It is not an aerial craft,
nnd its usefulness is restricted. The water-
plane is a seagoing aeroplane. It is fitted
with floats made of wood or canvas, and 7t
rises from the water in the same way as
an aeroplane rises from the land., In
handling it there arc certain material ad
vantages over handling an aeroplane. As
tlie air is usually calmer over the sea than
over the. land, it is less dangerous to navi
gate than an aeroplane ; nnd as there are
no obstacles on sen like there are on land
it can descend anywhere in safety. The
"Daily Alail" believes that just ns the
safety of Great Britain has depended in the
past on her sea power, her safety under the
new conditions brought about by the de
velopment of aerial craft will depend large-
ly on tlie possession, of flying machines
which can. float in the sea when they have
to descend from the air. For this reason
it lias decided, on tho advice of several
aeronautical experts, to offer substantial
prizes, with thq object of developing the
waterplnne.
,Tho waterplnne flight round England,
Scotland and Wales will probably be made
before the end of the year. Somt of the
, leading British aviators have already an
nounced their intention of competing for
it, although nb the present time no all-
British watcrplanc lias been constructed.
However, the work of construction will be
taken in hand at once by several firms.
Competitors will not bo allowed to come
down on land during the flight, but they
will be allowed to descend into harbors to
replenish their supply of fuel, or to escape
a storm. T'lic flight across the Atlantic,
for which a prize of £10,000 is offered by
the "Daily Alail," is open to aviators of
any nationality, and to machines of foreign
construction, as well as British. Accord
ing to expert opinion, it will be easier to
accomplish the flight from tho American
than the British side of the Atlantic, be
cause the winds will favor a flight from
America. The most favorable months for
accomplishing the feat are July, August und
September, but it is not expected that the
flight will bo nccomplishtd this year. Some
of the more confident pilots declare . that it
will be accomplished before the end of
1914. Tlie two chief difficulties nrc navi
gation and tho supply of petrol. By lueaiis
of. a wireless installation it will be
possible for the pilot of a water-
plane to keep in touch with At
lantic liners. The distance from land to
land across tho Atlantic is about 1880 miles
in the shortest course, and this could not
be accomplished in a non-stop flight with
the engines in use in aeroplanes and watcr-
phtnes at present. The world's record
non-stop flight is 625 miles. To cover 1880
miles without a stop the aviator would
require to carry moro limn a ton of petrol.
But it will not be necessary to make a non
stop flight across the Atlantic in order to
win the £10,000 prize. The aviator will
be allowed to replenish his fuel or to rest
on the water, provided the flight is accom
plished within 72 consecutive hours. Ar
rangements could -lie made for a supply of
petrol from steamers stationed in the At
lantic, and the aviator could get in touch
with them by means of wireless telegraphy.
It is unlikely that he would have to
descend oftener than twice for petrol. The
offer of the £10,000 prize will stimulate the
construction of xvaterplaiies, and result in
the manufacture of larger machines, of
greatly increased engine power. It is con
sidered all hut impossible to win tho prize1
with any of the machines that liave been
constructed up to the present. The "Daily
Alail" has already given away £'20,000 iu
prizes for nerial flights since ioOS.
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