SPECTATOR COMPETITION No. 62 Report by D. R. Pcddy

It was unfortunate for the newsprint-starved British Press that the news of General MacArthur's dismissal and the discovery of the Stone of Scone coincided with the reporting of the Budget debate. A prize of £5 was offered for not more than 250 words from a leading article in any newspaper which attempted to combine comment on the following simultaneous events: an offer of total Russian disarmament by Stalin, a Liberal victory at the general election, and the winner of the Derby being struck by lightning at the moment of passing the post.

A very high standard was reached. There was a tendency among some competitors to deal with the three occurrences separately, but the real intention was, of course, that they should be commented upon in their relation one to another, and the majority of entries effected this remarkably well. The shortage of newsprint was men- tioned in the "terms of reference" and it appears to have made a considerable impression upon Roger Till, whose entry was a model of conciseness (57 words). Ingenuity was displayed in choice of names for the ill-fated race- horse—among them being Deposit, Clement 11, Ajax, Empire Pride, Red General and Free Trader.. Among the better entries were three

leaders" from racing journals for whose writers the events at Epsom had dwarfed all other happenings—those of Lt.-Cdr. Nicholl, Michael James and Frances Collingwood. Two competitors dis- played a touching faith in the Generalissimo's longevity, dating their articles A.D. 2000 and 1971.

Quite a down entries deserve honourable mention and quotation, but I single out for commendation G. J. Blundell, Allan M. Laing, G. M. Hardcastle, W. D. Gilmour and N. Hodgson ; for quotation F/O Wilson and N. Moore. " England glimpses 'the winning-post of -Peace; and the Liberal Party is being pridefully led in. Both could be atomised for ever by well-guided missiles" (F/0 Wilson). "Some controversy exists, however, as the cameras show that the animal in question died when it was just about to cross the line and fell dead across it, thus raising an interesting point. Can a dead horse win a race ? No doubt Tory cynics have their opinions on the matter" (N. Moore).

Prizewinners presented something of a problem, but I think S/Ldr. Powell slightly surpasses K. F. C. Lane and R. B. Browning. 1 therefore recommend that S/LAIr. Powell receives 12, and that Mr. Lane and Mr. Browning share equally the remaining £3.

FIRST PRIZE

(Squadron/Leader J. F. POWELL)

Upon another page our Racing Correspondent gives an account of the well-nigh unique occurrence at Epsom yesterday when the apparent winner of the Derby—the Moderator of the Church of Scotland's "Latter Day "—was struck by lightning when passing the post.

This, if the mcst dramatic, is only the latest of a series of signs and portents which some commentators identify with those given as marking the imminent end of the world in the 24th chapter of our distinguished contemporary, the Gospel according. to St. Matthew. M. Stalin's sudden change of heart can perhaps only be attributed to .tt belief that he may at any moment be called to account for his actions, and the extent of the popular conviction that the end of the world is close was clearly shown by the overwhelming Liberal success at the polls yesterday. This success must be attributed chiefly to their choice as an election slogan of the 21st verse of the 37th Psalm—" The righteous is merciful and liberal "—though, as was pointed out on this page yesterday, the obverse does not necessarily hold true. Should the end of the world occur before 9 p.m. tonight, a special supplement to The Times will be published tomorrow containing obituary notices of all the distinguished personages alive today.

SECOND PRIZES (K. F. C. LANE)

This has indeed been a sad day for those—and we believe them to number the majority of our countrymen—who believe in the ancient dictum that right will prevail. Following on the sad news from Epsom, where Mr. Winston Churchill's great horse, "Tory Tactics," was stricken down by a bolt from the heavens even in the very moment of triumph, comes the disturbing and indeed, distressing, tidings from the polls.

We have often drawn the nation's attention to the dangers inherent upon the reckless, vote-splitting tactics of the irresponsible section of the Liberal Party. The situation we feared has now actually occurred, and the nation faces the grim prospect of yet another administration not firmly based on public support—for no one can suppose that a mere two million votes margin over all parties and a Parliamentary majority of 145 can possibly lead to stable and strong government such as the times demand. This is emphasised further by the fact that no less than twenty seats are held by the Liberals on a minority vote—how often have the Conservatives urged electoral reform in order to prevent such anomalies arising.

Mr. Clement Davies' duty is thus perfectly clear ; he must immediately introduce a Bill securing Proportional Representation, and having secured the early passage of this measure, he must then go to the country again. No consideration of Party advantage must weigh against the national interest, which clearly demands that the situation created by Mr. Stalin's offer of total disarmament shall be acted upon by a Government headed by the man who has made the cause of disarmament so much his own.

COINCIDENCE

In this odd world odd things continue to happen. Yesterday, the lovely Lily Bonsort, the "Shape," fell on the stage at the Haymarket Theatre and sustained bruises which permit her to sit only with discomfort during the last act of Serves Her Right; "Dead Beat," owned by the Maharajah of Bilkya, was struck by lightning just as it was passing the Derby winning-post. These two twents will have repercussions elsewhere, but added to them, we are able to tell readers that the Liberals now have a lead that will give them a majority in Parliament, the first time for forty-one years ; and Stalin, from the depths of the Kremlin, has given his word to the United Nations that Russia will commence to disarm on June 23rd.

Now turn to the cartoon page and see how Floosie and Boosie are getting on in their struggle against the atom thieves, the Gromska gang.... (R. B. BROWNING) From the Daily Shiver