The People's Loud Voice

That most Britons want a second front this year seemed plainer than ever last week. It seemed plainer, too, that they think there is too much crusty caution, inefficiency and politicking in their coalition Government. Thanks to the wartime political truce, Parliamentary party lines have been virtually unchanged since before Munich.

In two by-elections for vacated seats in the House of Commons, Government candidates came up against Independents. Both Independents demanded a second front and maximum aid to Russia. Both vigorously lashed the Government. Both won.

In Rugby, Independent William J. Brown defeated Conservative Colonel Sir Claude Holbrook, 9,824-to-9,145 (the previous Conservative majority had been 7,844). Stocky, sharp-tongued Independent Brown, onetime Labor M.P., pledged his support to Prime Minister Churchill, but added: "The people have given me a message to Churchill that he should free himself from the Party prison and should put his foot down on privileged inefficiency in high places."

Defeated Conservative Colonel Holbrook, a second-generation squire (Worcestershire sauce) and a first-rate Colonel Blimp, campaigned by reading an endorsement from Prime Minister Churchill. When asked why he lost, Colonel Holbrook harrumphed: "God only knows--I don't."

In Wallasey (Conservative since 1918) Independent Gordon L. Reakes defeated Conservative John Pennington and Independent Major Leonard Harrison Cripps (ultrarightist brother of leftist Sir Stafford Cripps), 12,596-to-6,584-to-1,597. Conservative Pennington, local Tory leader, conceded: "Wallasey has spoken in no uncertain voice and I accept its decision in good part."

Equally gracious was Independent Reakes, onetime mayor of Wallasey, a local A.R.P. chief who had sweated himself helping poor families during the blitz. Said he: "It is a victory for Churchill!" But Independent Reakes, like Independent Brown of Rugby, had an addendum: "Our enemies will now know that Wallasey wants a vigorous prosecution of the war with a fight to the finish. The voters are dissatisfied with party politics."

It appeared that as went Rugby and as went Wallasey, so --if a general election were held --would go Britain: not necessarily against Churchill but for a more aggressive war effort and less stuffy politics.

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