All that patriotic men can do now is to help
to make the scheme work as well as possible. There must be no sticking of pins into the Government. Criticism must confine itself to what may be called constructive adaptations as time passes. But though the Govern- ment have safely weathered this storm, there can be no doubt that many unpleasant memories remain, and the Prime Minister will make a great mistake if he confuses the reasons which induced the House of Commons to accept his statement with a general approval of his recent methods. The more or less open alliance of the Govern- ment with two or three powerful owners of newspapers, who mobilize their paper forces in accordance with an obviously preconcerted plan, cannot possibly continue without the Government being in constant Peril. Government by the Press has sometimes been attempted in this country, but it has never approached such a degree of reality as lately. After a close inspection of this utterly illogical, undesirable, and disagreeable thing, the nation does not want it, and in future, we venture to say, will not want Governments which sanction it.
