Anxiety

In the House of Commons Laborite Emanuel Shinwell rose to demand a de bate on the subject of Britain's aid to Russia. There was "considerable disquiet" in Britain, said he, over the amount and kind of help Britain has sent to her big, badgered ally. Snapped Winston Churchill in reply: "The honorable gentleman should not suppose that he has a monopoly of anxiety in these matters. I do not see any reason at all for an early debate. ..." Later the Prime Minister backed down, scheduled a debate for this week, but insisted no Government spokesman would speak.

A majority of Britons have had a complacent four months (see p. 31), relieved that the war was so far away. A growing and articulate minority was more disturbed than at any time since Munich. These people wondered bitterly why Britain had done so little to help the best-armed ally she has had. They questioned Churchill's decision not to speak freely to Parliament about the war on the Eastern Front. They marveled that a member of the British Cabinet should openly say, as Viscount Halifax had said in Washington this month, that Britain is unable to make any attack on the Continent.

Last week London's sharp-tongued New Statesman and Nation editorialized bitterly: "We have all but slipped into the American attitude of regarding ourselves as yet another arsenal of democracy which makes the tools which others use at the cost of their lives and homes."

At last Britain had awaked to the fact that there was little hope that Russia could fight Britain's war much longer. It looked as if the British people would soon ask their Government some embarrassing questions.

If a storm is blowing up for the Churchill Government, there has been plenty of warning. For the last month Britain's political skies have grumbled with premonitory thunder:

> Within a month three by-elections have been held to fill vacant seats in Parliament. Independent candidates, campaigning for a more vigorous war or changes in war policies, have polled increasing minorities against the ins.

> The House has wrangled over its subcommittee on expenditure for the air services, which angrily resigned because it was not allowed by the Government to report its findings to Parliament. > Criticism of the Government for its refusal to release men from the armed forces for vital work on the home front (TIME, June 30) has grown louder than ever. But the chief demand of press, public and Parliament has been for more aid to Russia.

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