I said last week that, with the polls declared, the
prophets would stand arraigned. They do, I myself among them. My prediction was a Conservative majority of 50. All I can say for that is that it was lower than any other I quoted, and lower than a very responsible one which I did not quote, of 77. The News Chronicle, which publishes the Gallup polls, claims that they were completely vindicated. The last pre-Election Gallup figure gave a Conservative vote of 50 per cent. and a Labour vote of 46.5 per cent., and the actual result showed Conservative 48 per _cent. and Labour 49 per cent., but the Gallup organisers always admit a 3 per cent. margin of error. As to the reasons why Labour obviously made up so much leeway in the last ten days, there can be no kind of doubt that it was due to the utterly discreditable " warmonger " scare so sedulously fomented by many Labour candidates. The lowest depth perhaps was sounded by the candidate who issued a leaflet bearing a picture of crosses in a war-cemetery and the legend " Your X can save a million crosses. Vote for O'Donnell and for Peace," but Mr. Morrison (to say of whom that he has not increased his reputation in this Election is an almost con- temptible understatement) with his " I do- not say the Tories are warmongers but—" followed by the silly, monotonous phrase about " the semi-hysteria of Tory back-benchers " deserves at least dishonourable mention.
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