The Observer may have difficult days ahead. " The Observer
has been Garvin, and Garvin the Observer, for thirty-four years," said that paper's leading article last Sunday. It falls to the pro- prietors, therefore, not merely to find a competent editor—and it is none too easy to think of anyone who would satisfy that limited condition—but one who will come near being what Garvin was to the paper. Such a person, it is safe to say, does not exist. There will have to be a break with tradition ; it would in my judgement be a profound mistake to try to continue the 2,000-word leader-page article a la J. L. G. People who most appreciated the J. L. G. article would least appreciate an un- successful imitation of it. The new editor, if he is wise, will try to build the paper up on other lines. The transition will take time, and in the course of it there will probably be song loss of circulation. But fortunately for the Observer, paper- restrictions make it difficult for any Of its rivals to expand
output to meet an increased demand. • * * * *
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