11 OCTOBER 1940, Page 5

The Imperial Policy Group shows signs of some deficiency in

the robustness which one would naturally associate with its name. Its October memorandum on foreign affairs begins with the intimation that " we have felt it necessary to evacuate the Archives Department from London," proceeds to observe that " this issue has been written and published under very difficult conditions," and adds that " the strain on those who are re- sponsible for the technical Memorandum will be great enough, working as they must between air-raid warnings, and being obliged to knock off early in order to reach their homes before the night alarm." These Imperial sufferers, in short, are no better off than some millions of other Londoners, who have not so far recorded their disabilities in print—but apparently no worse. It is unfortunate that the Group's afflictions should lead it to refer to " the civilian, shivering in his cellar under a German bombardment." At least the qualifying phrase, " as Dr. Goebbels would put it," might be added.