The decision of France to surrender caused such stupefaction in the United States that immediate comment was, for once, lacking. More mature reflection on the situation has...

T HE confugion created by France's decision that she could no longer continue the struggle is complete. Marshal Pawn's declaration is clearly not approved by all Frenchmen, and...

No doubt it was an achievement for the Hearst Press to secure an interview with Herr Hitler from their Berlin repre- sentative, Mr. Karl von Wiegand ; but also it was a fine...

Various interpretations can be put on Russia's new military occupation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, but the most obvious is simply that the Soviet Government is securing...

The first results of Italy's intervention are surprising. Except for some activity in the air her attitude has been almost entirely passive. In Libya, which it was expected...

The position of Turkey is one of extreme difficulty, a fact which is fully appreciated in this country. There is no question about her desire to adhere loyally to her treaty...

That Nazi ambitions are by no means confined to the Eastern Hemisphere is acutely realised in the South American Republics, and most of all in Uruguay. For some time the...

Eire is alive to the fact that her island position gives her no immunity from the dangers of war and attempted invasion. She is well aware that Germany aims at securing control...

The first air-raids on Britain on a great scale began on Tuesday night when fully a hundred aircraft attacked the Eastern Counties from Yorkshire to Kent. On the fol- lowing...

that Mr. Lloyd George has something which he desires to say, probably in the secret session. The House will do well to give its closest attention to whatever may come from this...

session for two excellent reasons: one that it is secret, and two that, as these words are written, it has not yet taken place. But it may be permissible to say a few words as...

In his broadcast talk on the Magna Carta last Saturday Mr. Amery, speaking, of course, as Secretary of State for India, made an apposite and opportune reference to India's...

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

Our Parliamentary Correspondent writes : —The comradeship in arms between ourselves and France in two great wars has created between us ties so close that the news of the...

The paper situation, instead of easing, grows more acute. Drastic rationing is in operation, and The Spectator, which is already reduced to just over half its average pre-war...

of the French fleet, are, as we write, still in doubt. Decisions taken at Bordeaux on what was perhaps the most critical Sunday in France's history arose out of conflicts of...

successes, so it is supplying welcome touches of humour. Two are pro- vided in The Times telegrams on Wednesday. One, of course, was the novel and agreeable achievement of...

than ready to do the right thing if only someone we have confidence in will tell us what it is. War-time diet is a case in point. We all have vague memories of reading articles...

obliteration of place-names will be rigorously enforced. A few days ago a Surrey village, from which every signpost had been scrupulously removed, had its name blazoned on some...

R. CHURCHILL'S broadcast address on Tuesday evening differed by hardly a word from the speech he had delivered in the House the same afternoon, but at one of the few points...

quickly to remove the difficulties about taking money to Canada and the United States. As things are the position is that poor children can be sent to Canada at the Government's...

it can't happen here " frame of mind by this time, but there are some distaste- ful lessons still to be learned. About Fifth-Column activities, for example. How any Briton could...

age group is called up the proportion of conscientious objectors grows steadily smaller. Among the " 28's," called up last Saturday, it was less than in any previous groups....

By STRATEGICUS C AMPAIGNS have been lost before ; but surely it would require a very close search of history to find any parallel to the amazing series of events which began...

By R. A. SCOTT-JAMES 'W E should be foolish indeed if we did not endeavour to learn all that we can from the enemy. The legend that Germany is invincible or that Hitler is a...

By M. VAN BLANKENSTEIN T Netherlands Government in London is in an extra- '. ordinary position. Their army, cut off from their Allies, had to capitulate. The continuation of...

cried—swift to desert Your stricken country in her sore distress. You may not care, but still I will assert, Since you have left us, here the stench is less. W. R. M.

By JAMES LAVER F EW people in this country have even heard of Nostra- damus, and to those who have he is little more than a name. In general works of reference he is usually...

GRIEVE must my , heart. Age fleeteth by. No longing can stay Time% torrent now. Once would the sun in Eastern sky Pause on the solemn mountain's brow! Arches he yet of flowers...

peril of the day all but our vast immediate problems are apt to be forgotten. Yet the need for planning our future efforts with the utmost vigour is not less but greater than in...

By KATE O'BRIEN " . . . but she's a bad girl, miss. Bad as they make 'em. I always believe in calling a spade a spade, as you know—and bad is the word for Edith Potts." " It...

ROME, SUEZ AND NEW YORK By CHARLES MORGAN D URING the last war, early in 1917, a newspaper then famous for its literary competitions offered a prize for the opening paragraphs...

BALLET Return to Sadler's Wells OPINION in the gallery was sharply divided about Mr. Ashton's latest ballet, The Wise Virgins, which was included in the pro- gramme when...

Propaganda by Films IT would be the greatest mistake to suppose that, in the nation's present emergency, the importance of propaganda should be for- gotten ; nor can there .be...

[In view of the paper shortage 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...

Sta,—In one thousand words of verbiage Mr. Goldman en- deavours to hide the fact that he cannot substantiate certain of his stories. Let us leave it at that. These stories are...

SIRS I suggest that the bad news from France need not be taken too tragically, and that, on the contrary, we may be witness- ing the turning of the tides of war. Germany's...

Sut,—Most people will agree with Mr. Charles Morgan in com- mending the fine and representative nature of the poetry that goes to make up Robert Bridges' book, The Spirit of...

Stit,—I should like to tell you why I have enjoyed The Spectator so much that I have ordered copies for several of my friends. I had heard of The Spectator for years, but I...

British subject, give my strongest support to the letter by " a young Dane," published on June 14th in The Spectator? All Danes in this country feel deep sorrow, be- cause it...

Land and Labour The fixing of the national minimum agricultural wage at Oa. per week, and the reduction of the age of reservation for certain agricultural workers from 21 to...

I feel that no apology is necessary in calling attention once more to the virtues of the wild strawberry. It is the earliest and most epicurean of English wild fruits; its...

The war began with a strong campaign that urged us to plough up lawns and grow indiscriminate quantities of vege- tables to the exclusion of flowers. There was no mention of the...

The order prohibiting the ringing of church bells except as a warning of invasion by air-borne troops adds one more item to the long list of strange bell-customs. Bells have...

of the City Temple should be written on the occasion of its tercentenary celebration. That a Free Church should have been able for three centuries to maintain its Evangelical...

The Gift of the Gab Coleridge the Talker. A Series of Contemporary Descriptions and Comments. Edited by Richard W. Armour and Raymond F. Howes. (Oxford University Press. 24s.)...

New Lamps and Ancient Lights. By J. A. Spender. (Cassell. 85. 6d.) MR. SPENDER'S lamps and lights have a soft and quiet glow— nothing electric or incandescent, but something...

World Finance, 1939-40. By Paul Einzig. (Kegan Paul. us. 6d.) POSSIBLY faint, but certainly closely pursuing, Dr. Einzig brings his financial annals once more up to date ; from...

Berkeley Moynihan. By Donald Bateman. (Macmillan. 12s. 6d.) IN the history of England only two surgeons have been made peers. Lister was the first ; Moynihan was the second ;...

WHAT to read, or whether to read at all, is a problem everyone is wrestling with these days. I believe a good procedure is to read the newspapers, and .for the rest turn to old...

THE Annual Register is, despite its honourable antiquity, less generally known than it should be to persons who for one reason or another need to have at hand a succinct and...

FOR your literary exhibitionist, the light-weight travel-book offers perhaps the greatest scope. Arch self-revelation is so easily larded with a knowing slice of guide-book...

6d.) " WATCHMAN," who would appear to spend much of his time in the Press Gallery of the House of Commons, speculates in this rambling book on the future of the political...

Tins is an agreeable assembly of articles and causeries by the Metropolitan Magistrate for West London. Dealing mostly with legal and social questions, they are the product of a...

THE fact that this small volume includes in its 220 pages no fewer than 54 maps gives some indication of its character, and, it may be added, of its value. Mr. East is a Reader...

though neither unduly difficult to obtain, nor essentially appealing to an eclectic taste, is unknown to the average reader." Some of them apparently have a low opinion of the...

By CUSTOS NEWS such as has come across the Channel this week was bound to mean another retreat in the stock markets, but at no point has there been any suggestion of a rout....

VENEZUELAN OIL CONCESSIONS PROBLEMS OF EXCHANGE SIR ANDREW AGNEW'S SPEECH THE twenty-fourth ordinary annual general meeting of the Venezuelan Oil Concessions, Ltd., was held...

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

AMALGAMATED PRESS NEED TO CONSERVE RESOURCES THE annual general meeting of the Amalgamated Press, Limited, was held on June 14th at Southern House, Cannon Street, E.C. Lord...

Book Token for one guinea will be given to the sender of the first correct solution of this week's crossword puzzle to be opened. Envelopes should be marked " Crossword Puzzle,"...

• ID tiro L A1L11 lei E A P4 L:_ IAIVE R. SOLUTION NEXT WEEK The winner of Crossword No. 67 is Miss Mary Abbott, The Old Vicarage, Moulsford, Berkshire.