would have preferred to be Minister for War, but has com- NEWS OF THE WEEK promised by becoming Minister for War, Navy, Air and Mercantile Marine as well as Prime Minister,...

The problem of Poland is becoming more intractable than ever. Emboldened by the succession of mistakes made by the Polish Government in London, the Lublin Committee of National...

The significant thing about Hitler's broadcast on New Year's Eve was not in what he said, but that it should have been thought so necessary to put him up to say something, if...

It can be well understood that the Government would shrink from the task of making drastic changes in the machinery of local govern- ment without exhaustive preliminary inquiry...

The four main-line railway companies have not been content with publicising—as they were fully justified in doing—the stupendous task they have carried through in bearing the...

In his broadcast from Paris on Sunday night General de Gaulle called upon Frenchmen to face the New Year with the determination to put France back in her proper place among the...

Recent Chinese reverses in the war, increasing discord between the Chungking Government and the so-called Communist Govern- ment of Yenan, and an outburst of criticism against...

S PECULATION as to what would be the effect on the unity of the United Nations if the British Press took to criticising America as the American Press, and some American public...

earldom there will be uni- versal agreement : if he - wanted it he abundantly deserved it. But I find some surprise—and some regret—that he should have wanted it. He could, of...

By STRATEGICUS What deserves remark is the fact, noted about the time when Patton made contact with the garrison of Bastogne, that the Allies had taken over 13,000 prisoners...

By EUSTACE GORDON A FEW months ago, when the Arab Mayor of Jerusalem died, a situation arose which typified in many ways the present State of affairs in Palestine. The Mayor of...

By VIATOR T HE recent Spectator article on " Doubts and Discontents " pointed out the impact on mind and matter here of five years of total war. What are the effects on Europe,...

By MILES JUVENIS One such anonymous opinion, entitled " What the Soldier Thinks," has caused eager discussion both in the columns of The Spectator and among, its readers,...

By S. G. SOAL T HE experimental evidence for what has been variously called " supernormal knowledge," " extra-sensory perception," or the "psi faculty," has of recent years...

By HAROLD NICOLSON " Er RITISH troops," we read, "jiave now cleared the Ardhittos LI hill and it is expected that before long the road to Phaleron will be permanently opened."...

" Dark Waters." At the London Pavilion.—" Kismet " and " Post- War Jobs." At the Empire. " L'Homme Qui Cherche La Write." At Studio One. How wise a film producer is to stick to...

To the Prussian King who, amateurishly mistaking the externals of music for its essence, said to Berlioz, "So you are the composer who writes for an orchestra of 500," the...

Goody Two Shoes." At the Coliseum. — " Babes in the Wood." At His Majesty's.—" Cinderella." At the Winter Garden.— " The Glass Slipper." At St. James's. ALL of the four...

four years, I have been greatly interested in the article by " Captain, B.L.A.," and the sub- sequent correspondence. I may say without hesitation that it entirely agrees with...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Stn,—This is a plea that when the Great Peace comes we shall not forget the little men of the wild Indo-Burmese border country, who are helping us so...

by "C.apt., B.L.A." You have done your readers a service in publishing his article. The value of his argument and the corclusions he reaches will be apparent to all who have...

SIR, —I don't know what the soldier thinks, but here are some impressions derived from nearly five years' service in the ranks and as an officer. I am another Captain, B.L.A.,...

Sta,—Mr. Norman Scotney, in his very interesting article " Theatre Prospect," declares a simple and self-evident truth when •he writes: " One of the theatre's fundamental needs...

Snt,—The splendid response of the Indian Princes to the call to arms has been of outstanding importance in the defence of India and the Empire. In particular, his Exalted...

Sta,—Whereas much publicity is given to the incidence of absenteeism in the pits (although the rate is admitted to be no higher than for most basic industries), we rarely hear...

debate on Polish problems was Miss Eleanor Rathbone's statement that the U.N.R.R.A. representatives for liberated Polish territory and for the Czech territory had not yet...

Sta,—It was with great interest that I read Major Cedric Glover's article in your issue of December 22nd last. With some of his points I am in agreement, but I wish to correct a...

Sut,—For some time I have been sending out magazines and books to clergy abroad. I have several who would be glad to have The Spectator when some readei has finished with it,...

Stii,—It is odd that Janus should have so limited a conception of our liberties. The possibility of getting into difficulties is one of the penalties and privileges of being an...

SIR, —In discussions on the retention or removal of the controls after the war the Socialists advocate a contradictory and impracticable policy. They want to extend the present...

DESIRE for the revival of local mills is growing very strong in many country places, and it should be strongly urged on social and economic planners to fulfil the wish. A...

Assassins MR. FOOTMAN has written an admirable biography. His subject is of the greatest interest ; his narrative is founded on sources which are either original or...

Peoples of South-East Asia. By Bruno I.asker. (Gollancz. 10s. THESE 183 pages are a plea for the promotion of Oriental welf . The advocacy would have been more effective if Mr....

The Ship You Will Command. By John P. Taylor. (Allen and Unwi 7s. 6d.) _ How far away Taranto and Matapan, the evacuations of Greece a Crete, seem to be. Under Cunningham's...

Architecture and Personalities. By Sir Herbert Baker (Country Life. £2 2s ) IT is a pity that so few architects write the stories of their lives. Their profession, one would...

Battle for Health : a Primer of Social Medicine. By Stephen Taylor. With 13 pictorial charts in colour and 91 photographs. (Nicholson and Watson. 5s.) THIS is a marvellously...

University Press. 7s. 6d.) THIS fine tribute to Robert Bridges by that accomplished poet and writer Edward Thompson arrives at a most opportune moment, as 1944 marks the...

(A Book Token for one guinea will be awarded to the sender of the first correct solution of this week's crossword to be opened after noon on Tuesday week, January 16th....

The winner of Crossword No. 302 iS 3RD OFFICER SPARROW, 17 The oltons, S.W. to.

By CUSTOS FOR most investors 1944 was a reasonably satisfactory, if not a very exciting, year. A further modest rise—of the order of 2 per cent.— in gilt-edged stocks, carrying...

John Constable : The Hay Wain. By Sir Kenneth Clark. (Lund Humphries. 4s. 6d.) SIR KENNETH CLARK does two things. He explains how Constable's feeling and judgement related his...

THERE are three kinds of war correspondents—those whose work has little value at all, those who can write competent reports which satisfy at the time but have no permanent...

Tins is a rare kind of autobiography—sedative without being dull. Very simply and unpretentiously Mr. Walmsley tells the story of his enthusiasms, from the age of about four...