10 NOVEMBER 1923, Page 25

THE EMPIRE REVIEW.

Mr. Winston Churchill lets himself go in criticizing an article about the British Empire which Mr. H. G. Wells contributed to the last number. Mr. Churchill says that Mr. Wells's political outlook is "narrow, shallow, erroneous and doc- trinaire." We agree that the British Empire would never fit into the logical formula which Mr. Wells drew up for the future international governance of the world. Mr. Wells left out the instincts, the mental habits and, if you like, the prejudices of the British citizen. Sir Oliver Lodge, in The Prospect for Humanity," describes the importance of the League of Nations, and begs teachers to make children familiar with the League's principles and ideals. Lord Dawson of Penn, in "Alcohol and Modern Life," writes an entertaining article about the uses of alcohol. He commends the moderate use of alcohol largely from what may be called the psychological point of view. It brings relief from monotony ; it puts a little dash into one's life. He says that he had an opportunity recently of studying an experiment in this matter, for he happened to be at a public dinner where the centre table consisted almost entirely of Prohibitionists.

(Continued on next page.) "It was very interesting to watch. It was the one dull, grey spot in the whole of that dinner ; and if anyone wished to be converted from an uncompromising advocacy of Pro- hibition, I would undertake to say that he would have been converted by that ceremony." Professor A. 0. Rankine contributes a learned article on "Telephony by Light."