26 OCTOBER 1934, Page 6

In his entertaining . argument with Stalin Mr. II. C. Wells

took leave of his host with the obSetvation, " At the present time.thete are in the world only two persons to whose opinion, to whose every word, millions are listening—you and Roosevelt." ' If Mr. Wells really said exactly that he must obviously think again. • What about Hitler and Mussolini? But if he said, or meant, that more millions hang on Stalin's and Roosevelt's words than on any other man's the question is more interesting. In that case I should be disposed to put Mr. Gandhi forward as rival candidate. The Mahatma-may be retiring from the Congress, but not many out of the 250 millions or so in British India would admit indifference to any speech he makes: How far his words can actually reach the ears of the village ryot I am not sure. But there are few, villages where the vernacular papers are not read aloud to. the assembled inhabitants under a tree in the evening.