Now, the animus with which the depressing Ministerial state- ments
were made, of which Mr. Churchill complains, was to invigorate, stimulate, and inspire the nation to greater activity. The animus was for a vigorous prosecution of the war and against an ignominious peace. In Mr. Massingham's acrid and despairing utterances the animus is against a vigorous prosecution of the war and in favour of an ignominious peace. He does this, of course, not out of hatred of his country, but out of a poor spirit and a weak imagination. The dreary dripping of his distressful declamation is always set to the tune : We can't win ; we must be beaten. Let us own up as soon as we can and save a little something from the wreck.' It is quite conceivable that the Spectator will be the next victim of the vermilion pencil. The Brewers may say that it is harmful to have British beer defamed abroad The Trade Unionist
leaders may add that American Socialists might be pained by our remarks as to the line they have taken over Prohibition. Com- bined, What Government could refuse them anything—certainly not so small a thing as our foreign circulation on a charger ? At any rate, we shall take our punishment, unreasonable and undesir- able though we may think it, without squealing.
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