BBC & Britain

For one fatal slip into sentiment the Senior Controller of Programs of the British Broadcasting Corp. was fired last week. The Senior Controller, Basil Edward Nicolls, did not himself make the slip; it was made by Christopher Stone, a brother-in-law of Novelist Compton Mackenzie. It consisted in wishing the King of Italy a happy birthday by radio and adding: "I don't think any of us wish him anything but good, poor soul."

If the well-wisher thought he was driving a smart wedge between Fascismo and King, he had another think coming fast. Both in Commons and at Whitehall Britons who know King Victor Emmanuel to be probably the most useless man in Europe made a great fuss. The Foreign Office and the Ministry of Information, which have been closing in on BBC, saw their chance. Tightened last week was Government control of all broadcasts.

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