The London Welshman

Notes of the Week. Mile End Election.- The two political parties pretend to be highly pleased with the result of the Mile End bye-election—the one because it succeeded in retaining the seat when so many seats slip from its grasp, the other because it reduced the adverse majority from between eleven and twelve hundred to seventy-eight. For many reasons this election cannot be regarded as a proper test of the state of political feeling in London generally. In the matter of candidate the advantage was on the side of the Liberals undoubtedly. Their man was much better known in the constituency, he having represented it on the County Council for some years. On the other hand, the Conservative candidate had an election cry which must have gathered under his banner many who would probably have voted against him had he fought as a supporter of the general policy of the Government. The alien question is a burning one in the East End, and whilst no Progressive would desire to close the doors of Britain against the oppressed, it cannot be denied that many of them think their party ought to support some measure to keep the dregs of other nations from our shores. The insincerity comes in when the cry for excluding the aliens issues from the persons who have brought the dregs of China over to South Africa. The General Election.-In all political circles just now all the talk is about the time of the next General Election. Everybody seems to agree that the present Parliament is to come to an end during the present year. Many believe that it is the intention of the Government to dissolve early, not later than the end of March or the beginning of April. They are confirmed in that belief by the fact that Parliament is not to meet until the 14th of February, an unusually late date, and that as soon as the Address is voted, and the Aliens Bill introduced, the dis- solution will be announced. If so, we may feel pretty sure that the Government has decided to make the exclusion of the aliens its election cry. But if it thinks that a question which affects only a few constituencies in East London is going to draw the attention of the whole country from all its misdoings during five years, then it must be blind indeed. Whatever attempt may be made to hinder it, the country will at the next election declare its mind con- cerning Protection, Chinese Labour, and Sectarian Education supported by the rates. We do not pretend to foretell what the result will be, but we venture to say that it will be a pronouncement regarding these three questions. Welsh Education.—We understand that Mr. Lloyd-George, who has just returned from Italy, has called a meeting of the Welsh National Executive, which will be held just when we go to press. It is expected that the teachers will place before that meeting the result of their recent conference with the Bishops concerning calling a truce. There seems to be no doubt that the Bishops have agreed to a truce on certain terms. Whether those terms will be accepted by the National Executive is a different matter. The meeting, anyhow, is looked forward to with great anxiety, and with considerable hope. Wales is not just now in the mood for a bitter ecclesiastical war. The Revival has saturated the air with the spirit of love and good-will, and whilst it has made the great and unchangeable principles of spiritual religion more precious than ever, it has also shown the folly of wrangling about points that are only secondary at the best. And we may feel sure if the Executive does not agree to the terms of peace laid before it, that will be because they are inconsistent with fidelity to the highest tiuths of spiritual Christianity. Our Foreign Trade.—The Member for West Birmingham insists that every branch of our trade is going to rack and ruin, but the returns

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