WINSTON'S NEAR WIN.

Shannon News, 27 June 1924, Page 4

WINSTON'S NEAR WIN.

HIS DAILY VABUSTr SHOW. • MOKALS TO BE DRAWN. (Lyttelton "Times" correspondent). H you had >cen in Westminster yesterday you would have imagined hat the Lord Mayor's Show-had got loose from its moorings last November and strayed into March There were processions and bands, Children in motor lorries paraded the streets all too happy athavnig such a jolly U But, alas! Their cheers did not do the trick for Mr Winston Churchi 11, What "The Times" calls his dai y variety show brought him almost to the winning post, and it is a chastening thought that all parties believe if he had only had another .days show he would have got in ahead of the other Conservative candidate. He failed even with a backing which , ranged from a full use of Lord Bali four.'s philosophic doubts to the more direct intellectual appeal of "Steve" Donoghue, -'Jimmy" Wilde and the ladies of the music-hall staged It is being neted that once again Hie Press Trust have failed badly m being either a guide to public opinion or even as a smeller-out of what the people want. It is in our view the just reward of that policy of which korthclifCe was the great begetter, and with whom died the second sense which enabled him at times to rise above mere money getting that the popular, given to screaming press lias-in this, as in the late election and the other less important issues been successful otLly in bringing derision on their self-claimed omniscience. • But another aspect.of'Mr Churchill's vain' attempt deserves notice. He has claimed for this Westminster election an importance more than local. But could he have claimed if he had but secured half a hundred more votes that His success would be "a message to our dominions beyond the seas, to our administrators in Oriental cotfn--tries and to friends and allies abroad," or that "the whole world has been looking at this contest" for a sign that "freedom and justice shall hot be trr.mpled down?" According .o »>ne-Liberal- orgau, official Liberals an.i Conservatives, alike vravj sup'remelv to_, ~ *ho -

v.ho'f election anrl its ;, sptvat'on "i-'tunts." there v, of course,, n fairJy wirt-spread opinion th*.t.J^r l Chn»-cnill has his uses in the House, that his brilliance serves to stimulate l-'ss effective debaters. Tiut su any pos-M-i o' responsibility, no!

If, as it asserted, lie will, try again, it is a high tribute to his courage.' - He ha:- temperament as had his father. He was first oC the candidates to arrive on the scene when couming el the vMes wa:- «,".ing o.i. tie walked from teller to. teller keeping s'flw sort •of count, and towards the ?ast ap-:)oa-ed to be A ■•■*., ho much ,so that a newspaper pub iv>n 1 his success But in .be end he *.v.is h-. hind-thj Cons-ir-vative nomiuec. Mr Churchill could haidly believe it and .dropped his cigar on the floor. Pulling himself together bo took his wife's advice and called for a But the recount made him a few'more votes behind the victor.

/ The stunt press to-day seems almost to despair of the-fate of Conservatism. One of its papers asks:. "What can be said for the leadership which thoroughly honest in intention, has through sheer incapacity lost, for the time being- at any rate, a recruit'-of the merit and prestige of Mr Churchill?"

This same organ adds -with regard to the issue, the Labour Party versus other parties: "At any moment the great fight may be upon us. In that fight Conservatism needs all the brains, character and political ability it can find."

What these sapient authorities fail to see is that the solid character of the British voter has not yet been deJ onched entirely, that alike among Conservatives and Conservative-mind-ed Jaberals. character still counts for ni-ip than brilliance and brain. This r ' i«f£ may even make Winston sea i! .ir-.d do him good