6 NOVEMBER 1926, Page 38

The New Competition

The Editor offers a prize of £5 for an Essay in Prose or Verse on " The Character of an Ideal Friend."

What are the essentials to be looked for in a true friend ? If you were lucky enough to . possess a friend who was all that he- should be (not necessarily perfect as a hunian being, but complete in eirekything that concerns friendship), hoW do . you conceive his character ? How much intelligence does friendship need ; how much frankness ; how much goodness of heart ? The editor leaves competitors very free in their mode of dealing. with the problem. They may discuss it abstractly, if they choose ; or they may draw a picture of their ideal friend.