The Lords and the Festival
The debate in the'House of Lords on Tuesday very fairly reflected the state of public opinion regarding the Festival of Britain. The Lard Chancellor, in moving the second reading of the Festival of Britain (Sunday Opening) Bill, spoke of the Festival as both an act of rejoicing and the greatest concerted effort of national stock-taking ever attempted. As to that it may be observed that emotions cannot he summoned up by official arbitrament, and Lord Reading szerned to damp one type of rejoicing down a little by advocating what Lord Teviot, who followed him, called a little summarily washing out the whole fun fair. The Archbishop of York had sympathy with those who had great hesitation about holding the Festival at all, but he thought if there was a Festival there had better be a fun fair. Lord Salisbury obviously had grave doubts about proceeding with the Festival, but seemed to think that at this stage it was necessary to acquiesce. Acquiescence is no doubt the right policy, but Dr. Garbett is not the only person who has found few people really enthusiastic about the enterprise. The nation has been repeatedly assured that it needs this kind of tonic. But medicine is not always popular even when it is free, as the Festival will not be.
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