THE BRITISH WAY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 197, 17 May 1941, Page 10

THE BRITISH WAY

It was characteristic of the British people that members oi the House of Commons, deprived of their famous forum by enemy action, should meet somewhere else “with the ancient ceremonial observed in every detail.” If that piece of news reached the Germans it must have occurred to them that the damage done by the Luftwaffe could not have been as extensive as Goering had claimed, lhe Pailiament of the land still meets in London and evidently intends to continue to meet there, because the Prime Minister told the membci s that a third building was being prepared “in case anything should happen” to the temporary Chamber. That sets the whole country an example. The legislators mean to carry on. This war is being waged to defend the principles and the institutions of democratic countries, and the source of authority is the elected Parliament. It may be necessary, owing to peculiar circumstances, for the Government of the day to exercise extended powers, but it is responsible to the House and there has been no thought of changing that established order. It is the British way. In Germany, on the other hand, there is a meeting of the members of the Reichstag at fairlv long intervals. The members listen to a harangue by Hitlei, indulge in some cheering, and then depart. It would make not the slightest difference to the government of Germany if they never met, for they exercise no power. And that is one of the things prominent in the new order which British people would not accept in any ciicumstances. They mean to retain the right to elect, criticize, question and. if thought lit, reject Ministers and Ministries, and while no doubt the partial destruction of the famous Mouse will cause much regret, there will be general recognition of the fact that Parliament is more important than the building where it assembles. The statement made by Mr. Churchill, that a third building. yas being prepared for use if occasion arose, had a note of confident defiance in it. It told the enemy once again that the democratic system would be maintained, and that the governance of Britain would continue. despite bombs or anything else. If London is to be the cockpit then Parliament will be in it. Tn the long history of its association with Westminster few periods can have been more momentous, none more honourable, than that when, because of the destruction of the I louse of Commons, its members met in some neighbouring building •uni went "ii with their important work.