92 THE COMPANIES ACTS

principally having regard to the circumstances
arising out of the war, and to the developments
likely to arise on its conclusion, and to report to
the Board of Trade and to the Ministry of Recon-
struction/' It is composed of the Right Hon. Lord
Wrenbury (chairman), Mr A. S. Comyns Carr, Sir
F. Crisp, Mr G. W. Currie, M.P., Mr F. Gaspard
Farrer, Mr Frank Gore-Browne, K.C., Mr James
Martin, the Hon. Algernon H. Mills, Mr R. D. Muir,
Mr C. T. Needham, M.P., Mr H. A. Payne, Sir Owen
Philipps, M.P., Sir William Plender, Mr 0. C.
Quekett, and Mr A. W. Tait. The secretary is Mr
W. W. Coombs, 55, Whitehall, S.W. i. There are
some good names on the Committee. Mr. Gaspard
Farrer represents a great issuing house ;• Sir Frank
Crisp, company lawyers ; Sir William Plender, the
accountants; Mr 0. C. Quekett, the Stock Ex-
change ; and Sir Owen Philipps, the shipping
interest. Nevertheless, one cannot help shuddering
when one considers the dangers that threaten British
finance and industry from ill-considered measures
which might possibly be recommended by a Com-
mittee influenced by the atmosphere of the present
outlook on financial and commercial affairs.

One of the interesting features of the present
war atmosphere is the fact that, now when we are
fighting as hard as we can to defeat all that is meant
by Prussianism a great many of our rulers and
public men are doing their best to impose Prus-
sianising methods upon this unfortunate country,
merely because it is generally assumed that Prussian
methods have been shown, during the course of the