Food-stocks going up, thanks to the energy of the farmers and the economy of consumers; German submarines going down, thanks to the Navy; Russia recovering herself; Britain and France advancing hand-in-hand on the Western Front, and our enemies fumbling for peace—­that was the gist of the message with which the PRIME MINISTER sped the parting Commons.  But, fearing perhaps that he might have made them unduly optimistic, he concluded with a warning that not until next year could we expect to reap the fruits of our labours.

An attempt by Messrs. MACDONALD and SNOWDEN to keep the Stockholm fires burning quickly fizzled out.  Mr. ELLIS GRIFFITHS mocked at the claim of those elegant doctrinaires to speak for British Labour, and Mr. BONAR LAW told them frankly that the Government had no intention of letting them go to Stockholm to chat with our enemies.

* * * * *

[Illustration:  THE UPPER PICTURE INDICATES WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE LADIES’ GRILLE IN THE IMAGINATION OF THE HOUSE.  THE LOWER PICTURE INDICATES THE GRIM REALITY.]

* * * * *

    “Neu propius tectis taxum sine.”

    Vergil:  Georg.  IV. 47.

Do not signal for a taxi near houses.

* * * * *

    WAR ECONOMY

“The Federated Chamber of Court Dressmakers of Paris has informed the Government that for the winter season 1917-18 the length employed for woollen costumes will not exceed 4-1/2 in.”—­Yorkshire Evening News.

* * * * *

From the report of a motoring accident:—­

    “The car pulled up in about a year and a half.”—­Kentish
    Mercury.

Quicker than the War, anyhow.

* * * * *

From an article headed “Exclusive War Information":—­

    “Vertical parallel Lines that do not look so—­an optical
    Illusion almost as curious as that which makes Soldiers
    invisible when dressed in Combinations of bright Colours.”

    Popular Science Siftings.

We do not think our contemporary ought to give away military secrets like this.

* * * * *

POLITICAL PICK-ME-UPS.

Recent revelations as to the way in which our leading Statesmen keep themselves fit have been almost entirely concerned with their physical recreations.  Further investigations make it clear that they owe their fitness quite as much to diet, to alternating one form of brain-work with another or to the consolations of music.

Thus Mr. BALFOUR, who has little time for golf nowadays, finds his most refreshing recreation in reading the speeches of Lord NORTHCLIFFE, co-ordinating them with those of BURKE and PERICLES, and setting them to music in the style of HANDEL, his favourite composer.