A THATEVER the invitation extended to M. Molotoff to visit Berlin may denote, it is quite certainly not an evidence of satisfaction with the military, or indeed the diplo-...

It is likely to prove invaluable to the Government to have Mr. Eden's first-hand experience gained by his visits to so many theatres of war in the Near and Middle East. In these...

M HE sustained failure of the Italian attack on Greece is, of course, primarily a testimony to the courage and morale of the Greek troops and to the signal efficiency of the...

The capture of Libreville, the capital of the French colony of Gabon,,by General de Gaulle's forces has some military, and more political and psychological, importance. Gabon...

and the provisional Czecho-Slovak Government, both at present domiciled in London, is a docuthent of both immediate and potential importance. It contains two clauses, one...

One result of the severe earthquake which Rumania ex- perienced on Sunday was an extensive and distressing loss of life; another was extensive and less distressing damage to the...

Commons to vote £2,500 to the British Association for International Under- standing. This excellent body, closely connected with the dis- tinguished name of Mr. G. M. Young...

is being restored by events. There have been two personal attacks, a large number of questions, assertions of independent views on minor Bills, legitimate concern about Press...

than a score of members, there being no great personal questions in- volved. There are now thirty-one camps in existence. Until the whole conduct of these new educational...

party leadership after a stormy meeting of the Re-united Nationalist Party of the Free State at Bloemfontein closes a period of some fourteen months in which he was associated...

Postage on this issue: Inland lid., Foreign and Imperial rd., Canada ad.

In asking for patience from those who wonder why we are not yet taking the offensive against the enemy Mr. Churchill reminded them hit Saturday that whilst the Germans have long...

Our Parliamentary Correspondent writes: It would be diffi- cult to improve on the tribute passed by the Prime Minister to Mr. Neville Chamberlain. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and Mr....

in which, while not maintaining the scale of Christmas Numbers of pre-war years, we hope to include special articles by Sir Max Beerbohm, Lord Davil Cecil, Sir Alfred Zimmem and...

COW E still unite, we still strive mightily," said President Roosevelt in his Armistice Day speech, "to preserve intact that New Order of the ages founded by the fathers of...

sentence in a letter written by Mr. Neville Chamberlain to his brother Sir Austen and reproduced in Sir Charles Petrie's life of the latter. It was at the time when Sir Austen...

H OW far the average German believes his own newspapers is a question there is no means of answering. It is not u nimportant, because national morale in Germany must depend to...

the surprises of this war. If anything was generally taken for granted eighteen months ago it was that if Italy declared war against us Malta would inevitably be untenable. Then...

at close on 7,000-6,954, to be precise—there seemed every likelihood that the October figures would show an increase, for not only is there one more day in October than in...

Lon- don as American Ambassador, but things have undeniably been made rather difficult for him in both his own country and this by the observations attributed to him by the...

with the wisdom of the East." Trinity, Cambridge, where Mr. Nehru was educated, has always specialised in Balliol brilliance.

By STRATEGICUS W E are passing through what may be the most difficult phase of the war. While we were in the early stages we were living from hand to mouth, and the immediate...

By WILSON HARRIS EVILLE CHAMBERLAIN has died before the dust of 01 controversy that his Premiership stirred up has begun to settle. He has been the object of bitter criticism,...

By BALBUS* M OST people would agree that absolute national sovereignty has become an anachronism, at any rate in overcrowded Europe, and must in some way be restricted if we are...

By KENNETH LINDSAY, M.P. S IX weeks ago I pleaded in these columns that the London Region should have its own democratic dictator and that the name of Mr. Morrison would...

By PROF. E. G. R. TAYLOR* H OW many of us have actually handled a Government Blue Book, or read one? The Census of Population, for example, or of Occupations, the Returns of...

" Lucky Partners." At the Gaumont. THERE are indications, including indeed an opening title, which suggest that this film is based on Sacha Guitry's Bonne Chance— in itself not...

The London Group Da so many things,' the London Group (holding its thirty- e ighth exhibition at the Cooling Galleries) shows less daring now t a n in the wicked 'twenties and...

Tons is the field that looks to the south: No words come to my mouth To signify my dread Of this field of the dead. This is that field where on a time Hope died in me, Even as...

ordering "The Spectator" regularly, since newsagents can no longer be supplied on sale-or-return terms.

it is essential that letters on these pages should be brief. We are anxious not to reduce the number of letters, but unless they are shorter they must be fewer. Writers are...

of the City should be put into effect is an interesting one. In many respects the plan looks as though it should still work admirably, although the increased number of bridges...

Sta,—Every day one hears of fresh amenities to brighten public shelters (tube and other)—canteens, hot drinks, buns, bunks, concerts, libraries, &c. Before long they will be...

Sta,—I read with very great interest and pleasure Mr. Clough Williams-Ellis' article in your issue of October t5th, "Sir John Reith's Chance as Our National Builder." In this...

Sin,—Lady Violet Bonham Carter's article drawing attention to the claims of Air Raid Wardens in London prompts me to write to you concerning their colleagues in rural areas....

Sts,—As a Home Guard volunteer I think I can give the real answer to Lady Violet Bonham Carter's suggestion that the London Home Guard co-operate with the A.R.P. services. It...

Sta,—About a fortnight ago I found out that certain well-known people, whose voices had come to be looked forward to by con- siderable sections of the Radio public who listen to...

Sfit,—I would like to express my disagreement with " Janus " when he talks about Rome. There may be excellent humane and even strategical reasons why we should not bomb Rome,...

to be done by Lord Reith, Mr. George -Cadbury, in your issue of October 25th, states that public ownership of the land is the only real solution for securing both a proper...

Country Market The war has robbed many country markets, especially i n the south, of their clap-trap. The sight of a country labourer buying a suit of reach-me-downs from...

Sta,—Alas, I have to admit that in trying not to make the mistake of calling General Douhet "French," I did that very thing. He was an Italian ; but when I said this in a public...

Sut,—In his efforts to flog the absurdities of spiritualism, Mr. Graham Greene himself falls into absurdities of more dangerous application. Arnold, contrasting the "tone of the...

to say that the rural canteen is, to the average soldier billeted in the country, about the most important thing in life. Thousands of soldiers are now quartered at out-lying...

The small local nursery, with a trade at the mercy of a fluctuating popu- lation, faces the winter with hard prospects. How many other- wise keen gardeners, who spend hours over...

Collections of paper are made once in two or three months, if at all; collections of small scrap iron and glass only when appeal upon appeal has been made; bones lie mouldering...

The Case against Pacifism. By John Lewis. (Allen and TJnwin. ss.) A C.RITIC.AL examination of the arguments for the pacifist position was long overdue, and Mr. Lewis is to be...

Genius and Greatness IF one is asked who is the greatest living novelist—and I find that the passion for hierarchies is such that people are always asking the question—it is...

The Betrayal of Christ by the Churches. By J. Middleton Murry. (Andrew Dakers. is.) THIS book contains several theses twisted together without any genuine connexion The...

Ask Me Tomorrow comes rather daringly, with its evocation of a period most of us knew, lived through and thought little of, but which—since it was our youth—we still hold in...

Rhymed Ruminations. By Siegfried Sassoon. (Faber and Faber. 5s. ) A RULE-OF-THUMB survey of Mr. Sassoon's work would show that his literary personality has two sources of...

dants of that minor Edwardian classic, Round the World on a Wheel. Mr. Newman travels by bicycle for five shillings a day, usually choosing for his excursions countries under...

THIS twopence-coloured biography skims brightly over the sur- face of Knox's life. There is plenty of chat about Mistress Elizabeth and Mistress Anne, about dances at Holyrood...

By CUSTOS INVESTMENT markets are in an interesting phase. For the moment the emphasis has shifted fro:n gilt-edged to equities, not because of any widespread inflation fears...

1,4 prize of a Book Token for one guinea will be given to the sender of the first con-act solution of this week's crossword puzzle to be ,pmed. Envelopes should be marked with...

The winner of Crossword No. 86 is Mrs. George H. Rush- brooke, to, The Manor, Willenhall.