"0. M. S."

Britons breathed more easily last week when it was announced that the "O. M. S." would protect them in case of serious strikes or labor unrest.

The full name of this 0. M. S. was announced as "The Organization for the Maintenance of Supplies"; and several peers, among them Admiral Lord Jellicoe, Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, Viscount Falkland, Major General Lord Scarbrough, Lord. Ranfurly, Admiral Sir Alexander Duff, Lieut.-General Sir Francis Lloyd, stood sponsor for what would seem to be a most ambitious attempt at organizing the country to protect and feed itself, in case of a national emergency.

It is proposed to create a mobile body of citizens who could, if necessary, assume the following functions: 1) Act as special constables to protect the public services; 2) operate the railroads and channels of food supply; 3) drive vans and lorries; 4) act as messengers, in the event that the post, telegraph or telephone service is stopped.

The organization is avowedly nonpartisan. The public, alarmed by recent flurries of unrest, has welcomed it.