One of the frst literary criticisms which the average, Briton has to listen to is, 'Punch' is not whit it was." Of course, it never Is; and that may be one reason why It remains a national institution which may be ranked along with "The Times." With every change of editor, the faithful readers of "Punch" see a decline in the standard of that paper's humour, in the Alrection of its drawings, and deplore attempts, say, to Mlustrate the Charivaris, To "Punch" Britong all over the world, however, owe a real debt of gratitude, Tt still represents, as it has done in the past, the fundamental British point of view. In the present emergency, when -in spite of the most cheerful letters from Home, Bultons in China may feel inclined to doubt whether their bombed kinsman are' really faking their tribulations quite so gayly as they Are They "Reprisals The question of whether or not to retaliate in equal measure for. the intense. and totally lscriminate raids that the German alr force has carried out aver Britain seems to have been Settled if the attacks carried out by the Royal 'Air Force' during the past week may be cited as a erilerion, "The evidence of the mounting Beilish alr offensive against Germany is now plain to see and, at last, the moral and materi effects of the widespread raids on German owns are becoming known. through devious channels. It is. also plain to sce that since the {Intenso German raid on Coventry when thousands of Incendiary. and high "explosive bombs were dropped indiscriminately on that ily, a decked change hag appeared in British {acties and, although RAF. raids are not described as" "reprisals" (a favourite German term), British bombers are giving the Germans a-taste of their own medicine. The recent at-{ack on. the German naval base of -Wilhelmshaven when that city was converted into a "raging inferno" (a Reuter-description) was, doubt, in retaliation for fire raids on' British ports," Despite the loud clamour of a certain section of the British press, however, to call such raids "reprisals" and to Tet. the British Public know that for every Indlseriminate Ger~ man attack on England, the TAY. wil retort with equal intensity, the: Air Ministey refuses fo use the word oF to promise blow for blow for Luftwafte Indiserlmination. Tu a broadcast from London sharily after the bombing of Coventry the announcer described the raid on that city. A few moments later, In the same broadcast, he recited in a tone of obvious satis
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.