* * * * *

KINSMEN AND NAMESAKES.

An official circular, commenting on the presentation at the Scala, in film form, of The Crisis, by Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL, the American novelist, adds the interesting statement, “the author is of course a distant cousin of the Right Hon. Winston Churchill, M.P.”; This sounds a little ungracious.  Why “of course distant?” But perhaps the gifted novelist shares the opinion held by Lord BERESFORD of the politician who did not write The Crisis, but is always trying to make one.

* * * * *

From the account of a military wedding in The West London Press:—­

“The bridegroom was wearing a simple draped gown of lavender-blue crepe georgette, with a mushroom-shaped hat in the same shade, wreathed with small coloured flowers and draped with a blue lace veil.”

Some mufti!

* * * * *

    “When the Lord Provost ruled that the mater was not urgent, the
    Labourists created something of a scene.”—­Glasgow Citizen.

Quite justifiably, in view of the imminence of “Baby Week.”

* * * * *

=THE DISSUADERS.=

For many years—­ever since the first piece of chalk was applied to the first wall and advertising began its bombastic career—­the advertiser’s tendency has been to commend his wares, if not to excess, at any rate with no want of generosity.  Everyone must have noticed it.  But war changes many things besides Cabinets, and if the paper famine is to continue there will shortly be a totally novel kind of advertising to be seen, where dissuasion holds the highest place.  For unless something happens those journals which have already done much to reduce circulation will have to do more and actually decry themselves.  Such counsels as those which follow may before long meet the eyes, and, it is possible, influence the minds, of the great B.P.:—­

* * *

    THE PROPRIETORS OF

    THE TIMES

    Urge you to spend your money
    elsewhere.

    THE TIMES

may have the best foreign correspondence, the latest news, the greatest variety of letters (in types of all sizes), the funniest dramatic criticisms, the sternest leading articles, and the only newspaper proprietor now acting as a plenipotentiary in America;

    BUT

    you are implored not to buy it.

    Remember its virtues for future use,
    when skies are brighter, but disregard
    them to-day.

* * *

    We appeal to the great-hearted Public
    to make a real effort and refrain from
    buying

    THE OBSERVER.

    Sunday may be only half a Sunday
    without it;