found a great leader and that envy struck him down.

"The Government has done its duty in the face of immense difficulties; and any one who is not driven by personal ambitions must admit it; and we have every reason to believe that the Government will also fulfill the Nation's desire for peace."

Another paroxysm of applause shook the massive structure of the Chamber. Turning to ex-Premier Giolitti, Delcroix proceeded:

"When you spoke the other night, I was filled with admiration at your returning to the active struggle of political life despite your 80 years. But I did not understand your words, which seemed indistinct and far away to me.

"Perhaps they were drowned by the roar of the river of blood which separates your generation from mine. For you, the fall of Mussolini would represent a mere change of government. For us, it would represent the end of a dream, the dying out of a hope, the defeat of youth and the destruction of the very reason for our existence."

Then, pointing to Benito with a handless arm, he said:

"Let him be free and tranquil. Let him run his course. If he wins, let him have the glory; if he loses, his will be the sadness. But do not allow anybody to say that the Nation had found a leader and that the pettiness and envy of men made him fall."

Finally, the peroration: "The Opposition promises every absolution to us who are not of the Fascisti and whom they consider accomplices of Fascismo's tyranny.

"But what about tomorrow? Tomorrow, if we were to give them the keys of our citadel, they would stone us. It would be their just vengeance and our merited fall.

"Let us, therefore, gather our

forces and set out toward our victory. The last battle is always the most bloody; but the last victory is always the most beautiful. Onward, then, to victory; and may our country assist us and God be with us!"

As Deputy Delcroix sat down the Deputies stood up and never has the Chamber witnessed such enthusiasm. Members of the Royal Family in the royal box mixed their voices with the Deputies' to produce a storm of cheers and hand-clapping and viva's that would have discredited the best storms that the elements occasionally provide.

Then, tears streaming down their faces, men rushed to the Deputy, kissed him, congratulated him, wept some more. After they had resumed their seats, a unanimous motion was

passed to have Delcroix s speech printed and posted in every municipality in Italy; and, while the notion was being passed, the unseeing, handless man was led to the Government bench, was embraced, kissed by Benito and each of his Ministers.

Mussolini. Next day, said Benito: "We are going forward to normal conditions; but it is not absolutely perfect nor yet are we moving very fast. Perfection never existed in Italy; and there is almost no belligerent country where any appreciable degree of perfection or normalization has yet been attained.

"So long as there are men, nobody can pacify them all. The best we can hope to do is to find a middle course of social compromise. What I am determined to attain is that the Fascist Party shall disturb public order less than any other. But absolute peace never existed in Italy, at least."

The Chamber believed him, voted confidence in him by 337 to 17.

off for the Residency, officia!
of His Excellency Field
Viscount Allenby, British Hig
missioner for Egypt and the S
Meanwhile, the students .
from the scene of their crime
sued ineffectually by two Eng
mounted on motor cycles. A
ploded Mills bomb was later i
on the spot where the car
stopped—a spot where two yea's
viously two Englishmen were at
larly murdered. Several sug
were later arrested.

Half an hour later, all Cairo c with the news of the attempted sassination. Premier Saad Z. Pasha hurried to the Residenc expressed his deepest regrets profoundest horror. King Fuc patched his Grand Chamberlan offer his sympathy and regrets. all sides, obviously sincere horr the crime was evinced.

In London. An ominous st prevailed in London. Closeted in a 10 Downing Street, Premier Ball and his Cabinet conferred to closed doors. On the street, bedr. gled urchins sold newspapers to t tune of "extra." An editorial w of the London Times wrote: Egyptian Government must be tanz that the practice of pandering to tremist influence for the political advantage, which they has hitherto pursued, can no longer tolerated. This is no case for a surely exchange of diplomatic ros and replies. It is a case for imm diate and for energetic action. Apos gies and honorary satisfaction wi of course, be demanded and will, course, be forthcoming; but some thing more is required in our int ests and in the interests of Egypt

"They have deliberately and s tematically created the frame of m of which violence and murder are th natural result. Very likely most them did not desire the end; but the desired the means from which th end inevitably follows. They did at preach murder, but they preached the premises of which murder is the cur sequence. In Parliament, in the press and in the public speeches, the inculcated hatred of England. Th taught that her claims were unjust that she was the oppressor of Egy and that all forms of resistance to be would be right and praiseworth were they but possible."

In Cairo, King Fuad received Lo Allenby in audience, later issued proclamation:

"The odious crime perpetrate upon the faithful Sirdar of my Army has profoundly affected me as wel as all the members of my Govern I deeply regret that such

ment.

ip should have befallen a high il of my Army, a man celebrated nis chivalrous character, high ge and great qualities, who has red such signal services to the y.

communicate my very deepest ts to all the officers and men of Army. May the Almighty grant mmediate recovery and the best h."

emier Zaghlul reiterated King i's feelings of horror at the peration of a crime that he branded nimical to the best interests of ptian independence.

the air, lying between the Resiy at Cairo and Downing Street, tream of dots and dashes spelt matical words which were deed rapidly by experts. Lord nby, rigid, hard, unflinching disinarian, was making demands and ommendations; the Cabinet was sidering them. Then came

a

gram: "Sir Lee Stack died toht at midnight." Next morning a le message sped to Egypt; it was British ultimatum.

The Funeral. The same afternoon, = body of Sir Lee Stack was laid rest with impressive ceremony. Tremendous crowds lined the eets as troops advanced along em to the doleful strains of the ad March, their rifles reversed, their gs doing a slow, rhythmic, painful itation of the goosestep. The mbre field-grey gun-carriage, becked with floral tributes, came xt, bearing its coffin shrouded in a nion Jack. Behind came the Durners-Lady Stack, Lord Allen-, Lady Allenby, Captain Campbell, -emier Zaghlul, onetime Premier erbert H. Asquith (on a visit to gypt), all the members of the gyptian Cabinet, all the diplomatic presentatives. Overhead a squadn of airplanes mournfully circled. t several points, guns belched forth major-general's salute.

After the funeral ceremony, Lord llenby, attired in a lounge suit, left ne Residency in an automobile, -hich was followed by a troop of avalry. His square-set jaw anounced to those who saw him that e meant business; and those who ad served with him in Palestine new that when Lord Allenby means usiness something happens.

The cavalcade made its way to the Government building. Assembled Toops gave a royal salute, a band apped out the strident music of God Save the King, the sun caught the lash of swords as the cavalry saluted

His deep voice boomed forth

High Commission which then read a 24-hour British ultimatum. The deep voice of Allenby boomed forth:

"His Majesty's Government considers this murder, which holds up Egypt as at present governed to the contempt of civilized peoples, is the natural outcome of a campaign of hostility to British rights and British subjects in Egypt and the Sudan, founded upon a heedless ingratitude for benefits conferred by Great Britain, not discouraged by your Excellency's Government and fomented by organizations in close contact with that Government.

"Your Excellency was warned by his Majesty's Government, a little more than a month ago, of the consequences of failing to stop this campaign, more particularly as it concerned the Sudan. It has not been stopped. The Egyptian Government has now allowed the Governor General of the Sudan to be murdered and has proved it is incapable or unwilling to protect foreign lives.

"His Majesty's Government, therefore, requires that the Egyptian Government shall:

"Firstly: Present an ample apology for the crime;

"Secondly: Prosecute an inquiry into the authorship of the crime with the utmost energy and without respect of persons and bring the criminals, whoever they are and whatever their age, to condign punishment;

"Thirdly: Henceforth, forbid and vigorously suppress all popular political demonstrations;

"Fourthly: Pay forthwith to his Majesty's Government a fine of £500,000.

"Fifthly: Order within 24 hours the withdrawal from the Sudan of all Egyptian officers and purely Egyptian units of the Egyptian Army, with such resulting changes as shall hereafter be specified.

"Sixthly: Notify the competent department that the Sudan Government will increase the area to be irrigated at Gezira* from the 300,000 feddanst to an unlimited figure, as the need may arise.

"Seventhly: Withdraw all opposition, in respects hereafter specified, to the wishes of His Majesty's Government concerning protection of foreign interests in Egypt,

"Failing immediate compliance with the demands, His Majesty's Government will at once take appropriate action to safeguard their interests in Egypt and the Sudan."

Egypt's Reply. The Egyptian Government after a night of heated agitation in Parliament delivered to the British Residency a reply to the ultimatum:

1) The required official apology would be made;

2) The criminals would be punished;

3) All demonstrations contrary to public order would be suppressed; and, if necessary, extra powers for this purpose would be asked from Parliament;

4) The fine of £500,000 would be paid;

But:

5) Attention was called to the fact that the new arrangement for the Egyptian Army in the Sudan was a violation of the status quo which the British Government had formerly supported and was also a violation of Egypt's Constitution, under which King Fuad alone can dismiss officers. 6) The Gezira irrigation demands of the British Government were called premature.

7) The British Government was reminded that the situation in Egypt

*The Gezira irrigation area in the Sudan is a cause of hot dissension among the Egyp tian Nationalists who assert that the waters of the Nile diverted for irrigation purposes will result in depriving Lower Egypt, a rich agricultural district, of a vital supply of water. Engineers have stated, however, that extension of the irrigation area would in no way interfere with the Nile water supply of Lower Egypt.

A feddan is approximately an acre.

for foreigners is regulated by law and diplomatic agreement and cannot be modified without the intervention of Parliament.

Allenby's Note. It took Lord Allenby exactly one hour and a half to read the note of the Egyptian Government, draft a reply and have it delivered to the Egyptian Foreign office. The note read:

"Sir, with reference to Your Excellency's communication of today's date, I have the honor to inform you that in view of the Egyptian Government's refusal to comply with those requirements of His Majesty's Government, number five and six of my communication of yesterday, instructions are being sent to the Sudan Government:

"Firstly, to effect the withdrawal from the Sudan of all Egyptian officers and purely Egyptian units of the Egyptian army with the specified changes resulting therefrom;

"Secondly, that they are at liberty to increase the area to be irrigated at Gezira from 300,000 feddans to an unlimited figure as the needs may arise.

"Your Excellency will learn in due course the action His Majesty's Government is taking in view of your Excellency's refusal to comply with requirement seven regarding protection of foreign interests in Egypt.

"I note that the Egyptian Government accepts, among other requirements, requirement four. His Majesty's Government expects that the payment of the sum of £500,000 will be made to me before noon tomorrow.

"I avail myself of the opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my high consideration.

(Signed) "ALLENBY"

Results. Fifteen minutes before noon the following day, the Egyptian Government handed to Lord Allenby the "fine" of £500,000 (about $2,300,000), which is to be used for educational and charitable purposes in the Sudan. The payment was accompanied by a protest against the British demand for the evacuation of the Sudan and for the withdrawal of all opposition to the British Government concerning protection of foreign interests.

Premier Zaghlul Pasha then resigned with his Cabinet. King Fuad requested Ziwar Pasha, President of the Senate, to form a new Government. The appointment of Ziwar Pasha, a moderate and popular man,

was expected to relieve the tense Egyptian situation.

Meanwhile, battleships and troops were rushed from Malta and Gibraltar by the British Government. And, for not accepting in toto his demands, Lord Allenby informed the Egyptian Government that orders had been given to British troops to occupy the Alexandria customs. The Egyptian Army began to leave the Sudan.

At Geneva, home of the League of Nations, Secretary General Sir Eric Drummond told why Egypt could not submit her case to arbitration: "Under the circumstances, Egypt cannot appeal to the League. Egypt is not a member and has not applied for admission. The Covenant provides that a third power can appeal to the League in behalf of a non-member if the peace of the world is threatened. The handling of Egypt's foreign affairs remains a domestic affair between Great Britain and Egypt. I do not think any outside power would attempt to submit the question to the League."

Opportunism? In a famous speech at the Guildhall, Theodore Roosevelt once told Britain that as far as Egypt was concerned she must "govern or get out." Earlier, on the occasion of his visit to Egypt and the Sudan in 1910, he had doubted that, in any part of the world, there was "a more striking instance than there was there [in the Sudan] of genuine progress achieved by the substitution of civilization for savagery."

In the drastic ultimatum to Egypt, Britain made it evident that she intends to govern and stay in Egypt and prevent the Sudan from retrogressing into the savagery from which Lord Kitchener rescued it in 1898. The terms savor, some opinion has claimed, of opportunism. This may be true, but Britain had evidently reached the end of her patience. The murder of the Sirdar unfortunately precipitated a situation that was found, in any event, to be the inevitable corollary of organized propaganda against Britain in Egypt and the Sudan, which, despite warnings from Britain, has never been discouraged by the Egyptian Govern

ment.

But the strong action was something more. It was an assertion of British supremacy in the East-a reminder to agitators within the Empire that their aims, no matter how just, cannot be achieved by means of inflammatory propaganda and assassinations.

Out

AUSTRIA

With dramatic suddenness 7 was a surprise to his colleagues Ignaz Seipel, Roman Catholic pr. for more than two years Chatela of Austria, resigned. He said while he was convinced that t jority Parties of the National Ass bly were in agreement wita League of Nations' reconstrac program, he felt that they did support his measures for carrying the program. He also referred : decreased capacity for work sinc was wounded last summer (T June 9), said that, all things take consideration, he felt he must res He recommended that Dr. Rog Ramek of Salzburg be his success Next day, ex-Chancellor Sp

As forecast (TIME, Nov. 24), Ge eral Ismet Pasha, Premier of Turke resigned because of ill-health. Fe Bey, President of the Grand Nation Assembly, prominent at the meeting the League of Nations Council at Brusels (TIME, Nov. 10), was appoint his successor.

General Ismet has been Presc Mustafa Kemal's most able and lo lieutenant. He first came into int rational prominence when he conducte the peace negotiations for the Turkis Republic at Lausanne (TIME, Mar. 1 1923, et seq).

*When Karl Vaugoin, also Defence M: ister in Dr. Seipel's Cabinet, was nominat cries of "Monarchist!" disturbed the ness of the Assembly. It was remember that, after the War, he had had an abr manner of ridding the Army of Sociale and Communists.

he Way of the World. It is a far from 14th Street to Congreve. just a little below that tawdry roughfare, buried in the back of enwich Village, is the tiny Cherry e Playhouse where Congreve has he back to life. The gentleman er discussion is an English dramt of the 17th Century. He was sidered the Bernard Shaw of his e. His plays are witty, caustic series of a decadent society. The y of the World is often thought best.

The plot is an involved attempt to rry a servant to a wealthy old man. Various subplots and small rigues are woven in, solely conned with love or its prevalent imiion. The cast was rather carely thrown together with no notable formance offered.

Students of the stage professed emselves interested. Considerable ighter arose from the benches. Yet : casual theatre-goer found the wit > long drawn out, the story prepos'ous and the atmosphere difficult to sorb. He realized that the play is not produced for him. His more quiring neighbor, on the other nd, quite liked it.

Parasites. Francine Larrimore bengs in this play about as much as e belongs in the Chinese army. iss Larrimore is a vivid young oman with a drawl. She is the kind at ought to go suddenly into an pache dance with the District Atrney and stab her way back to the derworld. Against a Bar Harbor ckground she jars perceptibly. Still at was the way the whole play ent. It was a cheap conception by osmo Hamilton, probably having iginally a sound satirical value. The tter was played out of it by a poor ist and burlesqued by a bad director. The girl can't pay her bridge debts nd takes money from a tall, taciturn ank director. He thinks he is buyg her, but she fools him in the end nd marries him.

New Brooms. Frank Craven, that mall man with the worried smile, has iven himself cause to be worried in eality. He has become a producer. He arted as an actor, progressed to playriting and now becomes his own emoyer. Under the stress of the occaon, he has deserted his own cast. It as the opinion of those his first guests at the stage had lost a solid asset in rank Craven the actor and gained only minor asset in Craven the producer This conclusion was derived by comaring New Brooms with the manager's

greatest success, The First Year. The latter will be recalled as a genial and amazingly human comedy of married life. It lacked a plot and was replete with homely wit. New Brooms boasts a plot, little penetration and less laughter.

These observations should not be taken to indicate that New Brooms is

sour, that was all, and taken to tramping because tramps' wages don't buy whisky. She liked him because he talked like an actor and she thought he must be educated. She couldn't read a word. But did that matter to him? No. She was clean and fine and REAL.

Lest the impression be derived that the play is wholly minus, let it be said that Helen MacKellar gives an excellent performance. And it will all make a rousing cinema.

Blind Alleys. It was with some regret that the critics crowded upon this play with displeased adjectives. For it was brought forward by the Disabled Veterans of the War and deserved the good fortune that has so signally deserted its sponsors. The critics therefore apologized and said it was terrible entertainment.

The story dealt with an Army chaplain whose traditional opinion of the church is burnt by war. He comes home, obtains a divorce, marries an Ambulance girl. The cast was inexpert.

Best Plays

These are the plays which, in the light of metropolitan criticism, seem most important:

Drama

WHAT PRICE GLORY?-A battle song with some blood, no heroes and a blast of bitter irony. Deservedly the most popular play of the season.

CONSCIENCE-A mongrel mixture of good and bad playwriting made persuasive by Lillian Foster's performance of the girl who went wrong when her husband went to jail.

SILENCE-A back-switch melodrama of murder with very little literature but no end of excitement.

DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS-Eugene O'Neill's drab dissertation on home life in the backwoods of New England. A young wife, old husband, young lover and a murdered child.

S. S. GLENCAIRN-A group title for O'Neill's sea plays, Bound East for Cardiff, In the Zone, The Moon of the Caribbees and The Long Voyage Home.

WHITE CARGO-One of the oldest settlers still telling its fervid tale of white men and brown women in the wastes of Africa.

Comedy

GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE-Ina Claire dipping in and out of the divorce court with several husbands, to one of whom she boomerangs.

THE GUARDSMAN-Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontaine prove that a man can't fool his wife no matter how good an actor he may be.

MINICK-A lower-middle-class house with the fourth wall removed to show

what a hopeless mess results when an old man comes to live with his married

son.

THE SHOW-OFF-The longest-winded hero you ever heard making himself so offensive that you have to like him in spite of yourself.

EXPRESSING WILLIE-A comedy deftly designed to illustrate the incompatibility of "temperament" and business life.

THE FARMER'S WIFE-Placidly amusing country comedy of middle age in which the widower finds a wife.

Musical

The maximum activity, melody and amusement can be gleaned from the following: Ziegfeld Follies, The Grab Bag, I'll Say She Is, Kid Boots, Annie Dear, Scandals, Dixie to Broadway, Ritz Revue, Rose-Marie.

CINEMA

The New Pictures

Wages of Virtue is another of those tawdry titles which haul the population into the picture houses. Wages of Virtue is one of those few films which return the hauling charge. Gloria Swanson is chiefly responsible.

She plays an Algerian dance-hall girl in the background of whose tinseled existence is a U. S. soldier. She had formerly dedicated her life to a hulking Luigi who has saved her from drowning. She finds he was not worth it.

Algeria inevitably connotes the Foreign Legion; and a dance hall calls for dancing. Of both, full use is made. Gloria Swanson usually means gowns. No gowns are used. She depends on tatters and her talent as an actress.

The Price of a Party. New York again. Broadway with its surface of enamel happiness and hidden tears. A good girl with a sick mother. An offer of much money for a bit of shady business. Mother to get well on the money, of course. A vampire to solve the situation and wring happiness out of a dripping conclusion. Hope Hampton to play it in association with Harrison Ford, Mary Astor and Dagmar Godowsky.

The Dark Swan is a poor girl who always did things for others. Her sister looked out for nobody but herself. The latter even hooked her young man. Everybody is unhappy, including the audience.

Peasants*

Cows, Vodka, Acres, Pota

toes, Soil, Love, Hate Ladislas St. Reymont (TIME, NOV. 24) was awarded the 1924 Nobel I rize for literature. Publisher Alfred Knopf sighed contentedly, poured

LADISLAS ST. REYMONT

Publisher Knopf sighed contentedly

forth a generous libation to the partial goddess of chance, bestirred himself to call the attention of the curious public to the fact that he had just, with commendable prevision, published the first of four parts of Ladislas St. Reymont's chief work. "Autumn, volume one of The Peasants," said Publisher Knopf some weeks ago, "would appear to be undoubtedly the greatest Polish novel of the Century." The award of the Nobel Prize goes far to support its publisher's pronunciamento.

The Story is of minor importance. Matthias Boryna was a man of substance, full of years but unbowed by them, strong as an ox, hard as a rock. In 60 odd years as a husbandman, Boryna had buried two wives; but the death of his second left him not averse to yet another union-particularly as things were not going well on his land. His favorite cow died. His children, married and single, were ever on the watch for what they could get out of him.

Yagna, a neighbor's daughter, was strong as any man, with a milky complexion and a passionate fondness for

*AUTUMN. BEING THE FIRST PART OF THE PEASANTS Ladislas St. Reymont ($2.50).

Knopf

adornment. The village tong wagged and the hearts of the vil swains were stirred. Constantly the sent to her "proposers." (When Polish peasant wishes to propose. sends two friends with vodka to th lady of his choice. If she drinks him, they are assumed to be affiance Yagna bestowed her heart nowhe and her shrewd mother had not y scen fit to bestow her hand.

What more natural than t Loryna, prosperous farmer that was, should in his turn send pr posers to the most charming and of the most generously dowried ma ens of the town? In any case, e did; and Dominikova, the grasp mother, approved the match on a dition of a settlement of six acres. the bride. Yagna herself, unenthus astic but docile, consented.

Fierce protest was raised by t offspring of Boryną, quick to obiet to the bestowal of property wh they regarded as rightly theirs on girl already the object of envy an the target of scandal. The protesti Antek, son of Boryna, was intensified by the fact that he, too, loved th girl who was now robbing him n only of her body, but of his own sal stance.

Yagna began to feel ill at east Old men croaked dubious warning as to the ominous consequences the mating of youth with age. the wedding went on.

While the wedding-guests dance and laughed, and the vodka flowed like water, Boryna's farm was th scene of piteous, hidden trage Honest Kuba, servant of Boryna, h.. been induced by the Jew Yanka. creditor, to poach on the Manor. The forest-keeper had shot him in the ler and he had not dared tell until t night of the wedding when his ago became unbearable. Drunken Ar brose, examining the wound, told r that amputation at the hospital w his only hope. Kuba, companione only by a dog, lay in the stable, tening to the sounds of feasting a merriment, to the wedding-guests to busy with laughter and drinking a heed him. Terrified at thought of t hospital, he took matters into his ow hands. He ground an ax to a shar edge, placed his leg on the thresho chopped twice, severed it at the kne

At last the wedding feast drew to a close, with a final song. "It was tir that Kuba laid his soul at the sacr feet of Lord Jesus..."

The Significance. This first par of St. Reymont's epic of the soil "a panorama of the whole round peasant life, a brilliant picture