Too Light Darkness The great black-out of last week is
old history now, but it took place after The Spectator went to 'mess, and it cannot be allowed to pass without comment. So far, at any rate, as London is concerned, it was an unsatisfactory perform- ance. Parts of the metropolis appear to have been as dark as strict adherence to the regulations could make them, but some most conspicuously were not. The universal testi- mony of civilians who were in the air that night is that the general lay-out of the city could be traced without serious difficulty. Among vehicles the trams presented a striking example of what darkening could mean, but private cars and taxis with their side-lights, 'buses, and some trains, particularly as they crossed the bridges, were conspicuous offenders. A very different result is needed, and there should be no delay in ordering another black-out designed primarily to eliminate the defects of the first. This is no time for leisured revision. The midland city which has planned a complete and elaborate black-out for some time in October may find that quite a lot has been planned by Marshal Goering in the interval. Last week grave unpre- paredness was revealed. Not a moment should be lost in putting what is wrong right.
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