UNITED STATES AND CANADA 41 



them several times, but he didn't object. Mr. 

 Bergne and two other attaches of the Commission 

 were present and followed the exchanges of question 

 and answer closely, ready, if necessary^ to give Mr. 

 Chamberlain information for which he might be 

 called upon without possessing. Mr. Chamberlain 

 had never been questioned so before, even at ques- 

 tion time in the House of Commons, when he was a 

 prominent member of the Government, and putting 

 questions to Ministers was a regular and organised 

 species of disturbance and opposition. All ques- 

 tions put by the reporters he answered just as he has 

 been in the habit of answering the endless questions 

 of troublesome members of the House of Commons. 

 The answer was always ready and willing. If one 

 asked a question which had been asked and answered 

 before, he had an effective way of saying so, with a 

 smile and focussing of the eyeglass that made the 

 unfortunate questioner weary, while everybody else 

 was made merry. A stupid question was sure to be 

 met with a light sarcastic reply that would make the 

 gentleman think twice before questioning again. 

 He didn't snub anybody, but when anyone required 

 to be stamped out he crushed him with the same de- 

 light that he used to experience in crushing a Tory. 

 The distinguished gentleman seemed to be in the 

 best of health and spirits. He was clean shaven, 

 and without the side whiskers which used to be an 

 important element in his facial make-up. He said 

 that he and the other British Commissioners, Sir 

 Lionel Sackville West and Sir Charles Tupper, had 

 called at the State Department at noon and met the 



