The House seems strangely effervescent and Question Hour revealed how
the war has shortened Members' tempers, while increasing their curiosity. Some of the Questions were incredibly remote from war-time. Members became irritated at the desire of one or two to prolong Questions on the fish scheme, and yet the general atmosphere of the House must have struck any stranger in the Gallery as almost Gilbertian for the Parliament of a nation at war. Only Mr. Churchill's presence on the Front Bench and his sombre account of the Courageous ' disaster were evidence that we were not back in the palmy days when the only fight worth winning was the next General Election. It struck at least one observer that bombs will have to fall before the House appreciates the vast changes which itself and the nation will have to undergo if we are to carry this struggle through to the desired conclusion. The absence of raids on London, and of any striking or spectacular move on the Western Front, has created a strangely unreal atmosphere.
Previous page
