FROM JANUARY 5th TO JUNE 28th, 1924, INCLUSIVE. TOPICS OF THE DAY. A DDIS, Sir CharION and Gold 78 Ade1phi, in Defence of the .. 785 Air Defence .. 276 — — Efficient, the...

apparently support the extreme doctrine on the right to advise a dissolution professed by some other Labour leaders. In the New Leader he says : " The idea that a Prime Minister...

enemy,. and we are bound to say that the speech of Mr. J. IL Thomas on Tuesday was in the circumstances welcome and useful. Mr. Thomas, in referring to the panic- stricken...

T HE morbid fermentation which has been going on in the minds of the pessimists in the Press lately in anticipation of expected events in Parliament is not a good beginning for...

may be that the House of Commons itself will have to decide for or against dissolution. He here conies nearest to the truth. If he frankly recognized the will of the majority as...

the City of London Conservative Association had sent a letter to Mr. Baldwin pointing out the danger of allowing the Labour Party to take office, and suggesting that Mr. Baldwin...

tiations at Malines between divines of the Roman Catholic Church and of the Church of England have received a mixed - reception. On the whole, however, it is generally...

we expressed a fortnight ago has unfortunately been substantiated. The official text of the Convention has been published, but it does nothing to clear up the obscure phrases...

more important—her bargaining power, to France by supporting her against Spain and Italy it is impossible to guess. If we are to play the old diplomacy game, let us at any rate...

must be placed the fact that the Vatican by con- senting to these discussions has, temporarily at all events, departed from its habit of talking forbiddingly about heresy and...

it may represent, ought to ratify the Preferential Tariffs agreed upon at the Imperial Conference has come in for some criticism in South Africa. It has been pointed out that it...

France seems to be, as we read in the " London Letter " of the Manchester Guardian, in the nature of a regional understanding. It is not an ordinary military convention. The...

Wednesday, December 26th, of the murder of M. Plateau, the journalist on L'Action Francaise, to which she fully admitted, is an event of some importance. It is another example...

Lord . Incheape deservedly became a viscount ; and Sir Frederick Banbury was made a baron. This latter event had, indeed, a certain academic interest, for it makes one speculate...

Company (who arc the proprietors of Pratt's Motor Spirit) on having taken the lead in removing the hideous field advertisements of petrol. Other petrol companies are following...

July 5, 1928; 5 per cent. War Loan was on Thursday, 100*; Thursday week, 991; a year ago, 104

week's Nation. He called it " An Economic General Staff," and he devoted himself to pointing out the need for the formation of such a body. Just as we have a permanent "...

what was practically a new language with which to express all the conceptions and indeed the data which have been added to the knowledge of mankind during the last two thousand...

of abating. Forty-eight new outbreaks were confirmed on Monday. On that day a conference was held at Crewe between representatives of the Ministry. of Agriculture, the National...

Government and the new British, Foreign and Colonial Corporation, providing for the formation of the Imperial Air Transport Company, were published. On the whole, the agreement...

A MESSAGE FROM SIGNOR MUSSOLINI. This message has been sent through the SPECTATOR by His Excellency Signor Mussolini, Prime Minister of Italy. It is addressed to the people of...

T HE message to the people of England which Signor Mussolini has entrusted the Spectator to deliver is well worth their close attention. Accustomed as English- men are to the...

A GOOD many people are talking as though the accession of Labour to power would mean " the end of all things," and as Punch, after considering all the current expressions of...

M EL IT is a truism that the adoption of a universal language would be a great step towards the ending of differences between tiation and nation ; and the troth of the converse...

THERE is no way of rehabilitating industry except by further issues of credit. If this, as in the past, is confined to productive credit for export purposes and speculative...

the following letter from a well-known American journalist— one who has exceptional opportunities of gauging the opinions of his fellow-countrymen and whose name is familiar on...

Ambassador at Washington, is to retire for reasons of ill-health. Ever since Sir Auckland came .home -last summer suffering from eye trouble there were rumours of his...

been appointed to succeed Sir Auckland at Washington. Sir Escae has already spent two years at Washington as Counsellor of Embassy. * *

5 The subscription rates of the Spectator post free to any part of the world are as follows :- One Year Od. Six Months .. 15s. Od. Three Months .. 7s. ed. ' The Manager, 18...

that the most successful British Ambassador who ever went to Washington was the late Lord Bryce. To stay-at-home Britons it would have come as a revela- tion to have learnt at...

ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD. RY EVELYN WRENCH. F ROM the standpoint of British-American relations the New Year opens most auspiciously, and it is no exaggeration to say that the...

IN The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare, who attempted nearly everything, tried his hand at the Jonsonian " well-made " play, had a sort of contemptuous shot at the theory of...

not possible to overestimate the value of accessibility. The etiquette observed in British Embassies on the Continent may be suitable to local conditions, but in the United...

afforded any opportunity of seeing General Dawes during his stay in Europe, but it certainly is to be hoped that he will he able to find time to pay London a visit. " Charlie "...

Times, makes the original• suggestion That at future Imperial Conferences leaders of the Opposition should accompany the Dominion Premiers, and that, in addition, the leader of...

THE LYCEUM PANTOMIME. Jack and the Beanstalk is a thoroughgoing, crude, traditional pantomime, complete in every detail. There is a beautiful cat, marvellously true to life,...

Owen D. Young, sailed for Europe last Saturday. Although they are stated to be acting in a purely private capacity, they had lengthy interviews with Mr. Hughes, the Secretary of...

THE REFERENDUM. [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In April, 1910, the Labour Party in Australia was returned to power. It had won all the 18 seats in the Senate which were...

the Referendum and the correspondence which you have published are alarming to all who see in this ancient device of democracy the easy path to revolution. You guard yourself by...

in the past, has arranged an interesting programme for the current season : Progress, by Mr. C. K. Monro, already famous for The Rumour and At Mrs. Beam's ; The Adding Machine,...

SIR,—I read with interest Lady Astor's article on this head in your issue of the other day: What I cannot understand is why she should suggest :- 1. That we are suffering...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sia,—Partly because of Christmas and partly to economize your space I have waited for two weeks of criticism on my article, " Politics and...

[To the Edz'tor of the SPECTATOR.] Sne,—Will you add to your courtesy in having published my article last week on " The Right to Advise a Dissolution," by allowing me to...

Sra,—Your correspondent, Mr. W. F. Downing, tells us that during the recent election he was speaking and working in an agricultural constituency, which he helped to wrest from...

what your authority may be for roundly asserting that " Mr. Asquith's constitutional doctrine is unquestionably sound," from which assumption you deduce the idleness of "...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sm,—Perhaps the political situation may afford scope, by agreement, for an inquiry which is, I think; badly needed and for which the time has...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—A constructive rural policy is one of the most vital and urgent questions within the sphere of domestic politics, and your recognition of...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Your readers can judge for themselves of the relevancy of the Duke of Northumberland's remarks and criticisms. There are none so blind as...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In Mr. J. St. Loe Strachey's excellent review of The Sayings of Queen Elizabeth, in your issue of December 22nd, he leaves out one aspect...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sllt,—In one of your recent issues you attributed the failure, of the retaining dam at Gleno, in Northern Italy, to excep- tional rainfall,...

THE FLIGHT. BELOVED, can you hear me ? Take this lantern, Turn it to the wall, lest the light stray— Then wait for me awhile. I must go back For one last look at the familiar...

TIIE REFERENDLT11.—A correspondent sends us the follow- ing which he has received from Sir Philip Lloyd Greame on the subject of the Referendum :- " Thank you for your letter of...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—I noticed a slight inaccuracy in your issue of December 15th, where it is stated that there was not a single gain by the National...

UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF MATTHEW ARNOLD. WE are very grateful to Mr. Arnold Whitridge for giving us this extremely interesting little volume of Matthew Arnold's letters, for...

THIS WEEK'S BOOKS. PUBLICATIONS continue to be mercifully few,' and it is again the presses of the Universities and learned institutions that send the most important books. The...

Mussolini as Revealed in his Political Speeches (November, 1914-August, 1923). By Barone Bernardo Quaranta di San Severino. (London : J. M. Dent and Sons. 7s. 6d. net.) Tim...

Fort many years we seem to have been on the verge of stu- pendous metaphysical discoveries and to have missed making them. Chemistry has been merging into physics, and physics...

This is a complete guide to the dying art of Gentlemen's Service, Being the Life and Adventures of ERIC HORNE (Butler) For Fifty-seven Years in Service with The Nobility and...

JANE—OUR, STRANGER. Jane—Our Stranger. By Mary Borden. (London a Heine. mann. is. 6d. net.) MISS MARY BORDEN, an American author, has chosen a very piquant theme in her...

Fisher Unwire. 7s. 6d.) The Bill is one which provides that any Member of Par- liament who is convicted of telling a lie, either to his constituents or in the House, shall be...

7s. 6d. net.) This is a very good novel although (or should we say because ?) it has won a prize. It is not only a story of adventure. It is a love story. Love is the bond...

To quote the name of the author of these short stories is to give the reading public an assurance of their literary quality. It must be acknowledged, however, that Mrs. Stern...

WHO'S WHO, 1924. (Black. 42s. net.) Who's Who, 1924, makes a welcome appearance in its seventy-fourth year, though in common with other works of reference it has been cheated of...

net.) -- Jr is very seldom that the reviewer of fiction nds himself more concerned with the - preface to a volume than its contents. The introduction, however, to Mr....

the tenth and last volume of the uniform edition of Mr. Neil Munro's works. Its title is not altogether an exact description of the contents, for the ten little studies here...

Kelly's Post Office London Directory, 1924, is in many ways of increased utility we note in particular a more elaborate analysis of trade headings. It is a matter for wonder...

stands out from among the ordinary ruck of novels. The writer is bold enough to let her heroine ruin her life for a religious conviction and skilful enough to keep the reader's...

strong feeling for words and phrase and a very delightful touch, sets about recording a holiday, the result can hardly fail to be pleasant, and Mr. Roger Fry's A Sampler of...

in the form of a Diplomatic Section containing details of the officials of Foreign Embassies and Legations. But, of course, the most astonishing section of Burke is the list of...

BRITAIN'S LIFE-BOATS : The Story of a Century of Heroic Service. By Major A. J. Dawson. With an intro- duction by the Prince of Wales. (Hodder and Stoughton. 7s. 6d. net.) As...

GREAT WAR. By Major-General Sir Arthur B. Scott and the Rev. P. Middleton Brumwell, C.F. (Nisbet. 15s. net.) The Twelfth Division, composed of men from East Anglia, London and...

and needle laces, suitable for either elementary or advanced students. It is very clearly illustrated and admirably written.

AND COMPANIONAGE, 1924. (Dean and Son. 75s. net.) Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage, 1924, which attains something of a record with 3,300 pages, seems...

6d. net.) KELLY'S ROYAL BLUE BOOK COURT GUIDE, 1924. (Kelly's Directories. 7s. 6d. net.) Kelly's Royal Blue Book Court Guide, 1924, is well past its centenary, and it is...

[BY OUR CITY EDITOR.] NEW YEAR PROSPECTS. [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—What are the prospects for the New Year as regards the Money Market, Trade and the Stock...

(Kelly's Directories. 30s. net.) Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Other Classes, 1924, is invaluable for its convenient alphabetical arrangement. With any other system...

Among the New Year Honours announced on January 1st, none was better deserved or commanded more approval in the City than the Viscounty bestowed upon Lord Inchcape. Sometimes in...