to explain the kidnapping of General Chiang Kai-shek by the Young Marshal, Chang Hsueh-liang. The simplest is that the Young Marshal, about to lose his position . as commander...

T HE climax of the drama of the Throne was reached after the last issue of The Spectator went to Press, but nothing of such comment as we based on the material then available...

conffict still dominates the military, for snow, rain and fog have brought almost all operations in the field to a standstill. But diplomatic activity is _considerable. Mr. -...

what is cautiously defined as "the application of the principles of the Covenant" is taking an unconscionable time in getting going. There is some excuse for that, for funda-...

was convicted of the murder of Herr Gustlov, chief Nazi agent in Switzerland, and sentenced to eighteen years' imprisonment ; there is no death penalty in the canton of Grisons,...

the effects of Germany's attempt to achieve economic self- sufficiency. In Berlin the Institute of Business Research told German housewives to cut down consumption of meat,...

American Ambassador at the House of Commons on Tuesday to consider how mutual understanding between this country and the United States could be further fostered is of admirable...

a measure to provide for the recognition of the abdication of King Edward has provided Mr. de Valera with an early opportunity to put into legislative effect the amendments of...

of the credit. He not merely gave the best of himself but drew the best out of Parliament. Never perhaps in history has the prestige of a Prime Minister stood higher than does...

make up for the days that had to be given over to the Abdication Bill by prolonging the session. Since the momentous events of last week a great lethargy has come over the...

the question of the Court of Inquiry into the circumstances of the crashes of six out of the seven aircraft of Number 102 Squadron last Saturday. Captain Balfour demanded that...

the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill in the House of Lords on Tuesday, the Archbishop of Canterbury and. the Bishop of Winchester joined in the attack on the Government's failure...

Mr. Baldwin described as "the last of the formal occasions" which attend the succession of a Sovereign took place on Monday with the passing of the "humble address" in response...

The report of the special committee appointed to enquire into allegations arising out of what has come to be known as the Lambert case reflects no great credit and no great...

R ARELY in any country at any time has a democracy vindicated itself as. the democracy of this country has done in the present month. It has exhibited a restraint, a unity, a...

for the next ten years depends upon the new Royal Charter which, by Order in Council, will come into force this week; and whose terms it is open to Parliament to discuss but not...

T HE most wholesome feature of the transition from King to King is the universality of the desire to regard the thing as settled and done with and to get on with every task that...

By C. P. BLACKER [Dr. , Blacker is Secretary of the Eugenics Society. The next article in this series will be by Mr. D. V. Glass, on "Other Countries' Policies.' 1 - IN recent...

By CAPTAIN LIDDELL HART apart from the Russian. That idea is reinforced if trained reserves of men and stored reserves of war material be reckoned. And the impression has thus...

BERNAYS, M.P. By ROBERT T HERE is no doubt that with Sir Oswald Mosley's decision to run 400 candidates at the next election a new force has entered British politics. The...

By E. E. KELLETT A RECENT trial in Germany has aroused widespread interest. It will be remembered that some ten days ago, Dr. Goebbels, the Minister. for National Enlightenment...

By EVELYN WAUGH F OR the logical mind the Teutonic observance of 1. 1 Christmas is a highly puzzling business. Even in the nursery, where one was beset by unlimited,...

By LUIGI PIRANDELLO O N the very first day of his betrothal, Bartolino had heard his fiancée say to him : "Lina, you know, is not my real name. It should be ' Carolina ' ; but...

By E. L. WOODWARD FAT is an ester." A fat is an ester. I made this discovery in a school examination paper. It did not take me far because I was not up in esters ; but the...

Commonwealth and Foreign A VISIT to the capital of nationalist China in late November, 1936, viewed in the comparative perspective of a similar visit almost exactly a year ago,...

"Girls' Dormitory." At the Regal---" Go West, Young Man." At the Plaza--" Hortobagy." At the Film Society THIS week we have run the gamut of sex, from the incredible...

"The Boy David." By Sir James Barrie. At His Majesty's IN simple fairness the essential question to ask about Sir James Barrie's new play, The Boy David, is whether it has as...

A Socialist Decorator COMPARED with most other types of artist the decorative painter is at a great disadvantage in the matter of exhibiting his work. He cannot transport his...

[D'un correspondant parisien] IL ne sierait pas a un etranger de prendre position dans he drame qui vient de botdeverser rempire britannique. Mais' lui est loisible de...

The English Village The English village is enjoying a vogue—in literature— that is beyond all precedent ; and this vogue has extended beyond the Atlantic -and brought some...

Sm,—The letter in your issue of December 11th, over the signature of the General Secretary of the National Bible Society of Scotland, makes painful reading, especially for those...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [Correspondents are requested to keep their letters as brief as is reasonably possible. The most suitable length is that of one of our "News of the Week"...

me. May I be allowed to say that Mr. Fred Gray, an Englishman, is not the only Protestant pastor in Valladolid? For many years there has been a congregation in connexion with...

[To the Editor of THE Sei•:crATohl SIR,—Thanks to you, Sir, for the insertion of the article on the spelling of English, and to Professor Gilbert Murray for the considerate and...

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sra,—It was so poignant to read my own description of Tossa as it was when I left it in April. What irony ! Here are extracts from two letters...

[To the Editor of THE SPEcraToa.] Sin,—I hope I am not being unduly spiteful if I express the - hope that one of these days Mr. Michael Roberts may in person learn something of...

- [To the Editor of Tim SPECTATOR.] Snt,—Herr R. Kircher has published an answer to my letter in your issue of NoveMber 20th. I do not think that in The view of any English...

Sm,—Some days ago I read with much interest the substantial article of Monsieur VVladimir d'Ormesson, and Herr Kircher's reply, which were published in The Spectator. Perhaps...

_ „ , [To the Editor 4. rrif. SPECTATOR.] SIR,—You printed quite recently a_letter fmn Captain W. A. Powell in. which he wrote of "the Anglo-Catholic Mtention to bring the...

as Miss Rose Macaulay says, talk of idols, images and idolatrous processions is 'an odd throwback* to Militant . _ Protestantism and an insult th others' religions,' ay I can...

• [To the Editor of Tax SPECTATOR.] Sin,—As Sir ' Arnold Wilson demurs to my pointing out that Mill, Spencer and Russell might be considered as "seeking to subvert the faith of...

[To the Editor of THE SeneTAToa.] you allow me to correct a sentence in my article in last week's Spectator on our new King ? By some aberration, which it baffles me to account...

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sni,—In my review, "Peace in Our Time," I had to describe and criticise a number of different arguments in a short space, and this appears to...

By WALTER STARKIE TIIE death of Luigi Pirandello brings back many memories of modern Italy's greatest dramatist. My first vision of Pirandello goes back to the turbulent days...

Scrambles amongst the Alps. By Edward Whymper. 'Revised and edited by H. E. G. Tyndale. (Murray. 10s. 6d.) The Playground of Europe. By Leslie Stephen. (Blackwell. 5s.) My...

The Intruder. By Kenneth Walker. (Lovat Dickson. 9s.) KENNETH WALKER has had a life of interest, change and excitement, and his is, it is obvious, a various and exciting...

Hutton. (Duckworth. 12s. 6d.) Zero Hour. By Richard Freund. (Methuen. 10s. 6d.) EUROPE'S disasters are the opportunity of journalists, of whom Mr. Graham Hutton and Mr. Richard...

Tins is the story of the life of an Irishman who, after fighting for Greece against Turkey and enjoying a brief career as a brilliant international journalist, returned to his...

English Panorama. By Thomas Sharp. (Dent. 7s. 6d.) IT is usual today for those who claim the combination - of aesthetic sensibilities with love of the Paglish rural scene to...

Delius as I Knew Him. By Erie Fenby. (Bell. 8s. Bd.) DESPITE occasional naivete in thought and expression, this is one of the most fascinating musical books of recent years. Mr....

We Generally Shoot Englishmen. By R. 0. G. Urch. (Allen and Unwin. 10a. Bd.) To be persecuted, to suffer, starve and die without the con- solation of enduring these things for...

TuE Kari, the evergreen equatorial rain forest, crosses all Central Africa to reach the shores of the Atlantic. Only the outskirts of this kingdom of darkness, mystery and...

Stalking in the Himalayas and Northern India. By Lt.-Col. C. H. Stoekley, D.S.O. (Herbert Jenkins. 15s.) Pike on the Plug. By Sidney Spencer. (Witherby. 68.) • IT stands to...

The Croquet Player. By H. G. Wells. (Chatto and Windus. 3s. Od.) Jost. By Rudolf Kuhn: Translated by Marion Reid. • Hodge. 88. 6d.) Sand Castle. By Janet Beith. (Hodder and...

(Bell, 12s. 6d.) is short in time but full and intricate in depth. It begins with a lucid survey of conditions in South Africa before the London Convention of 1884 and traces...

Current Literature Of " Sir Walter Rawley's School of Atheism . . . wherein both Moyses and our Saviour, the Old and New Testament are jested at, and the schollers taught to...

- We haVe - from _the Medici Society, the Trustees of the British Museum, Messrs._ J. Ward, Messrs. Heifer, Messrs. C. W. Faulkner,- Messrs. - Michael Joseph and–Messrs....

The interest of thi:s book (Hodder and Stoughton, 18s.) lies mainly, in its revelation of a charming personality. Mountaineering,' for Mr. Somervell, is, as it should be, a...

is a readable account (Michael Joseph, 15s.) of the celebrated crook and his . eighteenth-century background. As the material regarding Wild is scanty, the author has plenty of...

Motoring THE design and building of motor-cars is an industry that probably suffers from more inhibitions than 'any. other. I am not at all sure that inhibition is the right...

Finance THE investing public is probably aware that a strong Committee has recently been appointed by the Govern- ment with the object of enquiring into and dealing with what...

IT is imiiossible to study the monthly figures of our foreign trade without being concerned with regard to the growing excess of Imports over Exports. It is perfectly true that...

MARKETS BECOMING NORMAL. CONSIDERING the severe strain imposed upon the country by the recent domestic crisis, the Stock Markets may be said to have come out of the ordeal in a...

will be given to the sender of the first toned solution of this week's erouword puzzle to be opened. Envelopes should be marked "Crossword Puzzle," and should be received not...

of Crossword No. 220 is Mr. Godfrey Benda% Oxenwood, Bushey Heath, Herts.