GREAT BRITAIN: J.R.M.

When he has no more important thing to do. Prime Minister James Ramsay MacDonald burbles in pleasant, heart-warming fashion.

Major Burble, Bouqueted by members of the American Society in London last week, he told them that their country is “the greatest nation that now exists on the face of this earth!”

Of contrary opinion are most of His Majesty’s subjects. They hold the British Empire “greatest.” Recently Scot Mac-Donald was called “traitor” by the precious-precocious son of Conservative Winston Churchill (TIME, Feb. 23). In Britain’s coming electoral campaign Conservative candidates & professional patriots will roast J. R. M. for his generous, reckless major burble.

Minor Burble, As the Prime Minister opened a protect-the-beauties-of-our countryside exhibition in London last week, he said: “If you want to be horrified by a broad, straight, brutal road, which if it lasted 500 years would never acquire a mellow, lovable personality … go up and look down from the air.

“On the other hand, if you want to see a glorious old twisting and twining road . . . you should also go have an air journey.”

Frequently J. R. M. has an air journey from London to his Scotch home at Lossiemouth and return—a round trip of over 850 miles made with zip &zing in a straight-streaking Royal Air Force plane.