Before the Chancellor unfolded his Budget the Prime Minister and
Sir John Anderson went in to bat. The Prime Minister took the first ball and hit two sixes, the pavilion cheered every stroke. His answer to the gloomy Mr. Oswald Lewis about bombing Berlin was a masterpiece, but the answer to Mr. Lindsay on silent columns must be read in full to be enjoyed. Who else in Britain would have coined the phrase "innocuous desuetude" and then attributed it to the United States? Sir John Anderson's statement on the better treatment of aliens and refugees was welcomed in all parts of the House. It is good news that the Home Office will now take responsi- bility for internment camps. After twelve supplementary questions the speaker intervened. Later in the day Sir John made a fresh start with his ill-fated Emergency Powers Bill. The House of Commons has certainly justified its existence on the general questions affecting liberty; in this connexion it is sad to lose Mr. Kingsley Griffith, who ought to have been a Minister eight years ago if merit was the sole criterion for office.
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