'Desperate efforts have been made however to cope with the vital questions of feeding the population, and if listeners will faithfully carry out the instructions which I am about to give there will be no further danger to any member of the community from lack of food.
'On the breakdown of the late Government only one political body in this country was sufficiently organised to offer any prospect of stability if they were placed in power; I refer to the Communist party. For many years this party has been increasing in numbers, intelligence and strength. They have watched the gradual decline of confidence among the people in the succession of so called National, Socialist National, and finally United British Governments, convinced that a time would surely come when the nation would turn to them in some great crisis as the only body offering a clear cut break from the old tradition of muddle, compromise and incompetence.
"This party was very highly organised, and every member of it fully instructed as to his duty when the expected crisis at last came; it is therefore not surprising that, on the fall of the late Government, the power of this party came to be felt very strongly, particularly in the towns, where its following was considerable.
'Faced with the country rapidly dissolving into a state of anarchy a very large proportion of the people naturally rallied to this cause, which offered the only obvious means of restoring law and order.
'Many of the principal towns of England, Scotland and Wales accepted the authority of the local Soviets a short time after the dissolution of the late Government and, although the street fighting was bitter and severe, London acknowledged a provisional Communist Government five days ago.'
'There you are darlings, just what Gregory told us, and what the greybeard said in the Town Hall,' Veronica shrugged impatiently.
'Shut up!' snapped Kenyon, 'oh hell! the battery's fading out.'
The voice had grown weaker as they leaned anxiously nearer to the instrument. Silas twiddled the knob but atmospherics intervened and they could only catch snatches of the announcer's speech here and there.
'Failure of foreign support… unable to redeem pledges… Manchester leading the way… two days and nights of massacre… first successes… three causes mainly contributing… dispatched by aeroplane… wonderful response by the United… recovery under new… food ships now… feeling of Empire never more strongly demonstrated… Canadian offer to admit… South Africa under this… difficulties of… enrolled at once… severe blow to Provisional Government… forces of the Prince Regent entered London at 3.15 a.m. this morning…'
'Good God!' cried Kenyon; 'do you understand? There has been a counter revolution!'
'Listen, listen!' muttered Ann, 'what did he say? read what?'
'Something about a proclamation,' Silas turned the knob again, the instrument crackled, hooted, and buzzed, then the voice of the announcer came clear, loud and dominant once more: '… has ever strained the heart of this great Empire, yet I am proud to say that never in their long history have the English speaking peoples given a finer demonstration of their power to unite together for the preservation of freedom and justice in the darkest hour.
'For years we have been drifting powerless in the grip of an effete system of Government. His Majesty knew it, I knew it, and the best brains in this country, who now constitute my council, knew it; moreover, in the last twenty years, I have made it my business to gather the opinions of men and women of every shade of thought and feeding in the country, rich and poor alike, and I am aware that many thousands of them realised it too, yet I was powerless to intervene.
'Had I made any premature attempt to save the country from the crisis which I foresaw I should have been instantly accused of seeking a dictatorship, thereby seriously prejudicing the goodwill of a large section of the community when the crisis came.
'I have never sought a dictatorship, and I give my assurance that as soon as law and order have been re-established throughout the country, I shall cease to act as a dictator. In the meantime however His Majesty's condition being too grave for him to bear the strain of such a crisis, the last act of the legally constituted Government was to surrender supreme power into my hands; to refuse it would have been a cowardly neglect of my duty as your Prince.
'Parliament will reassemble in due course, for it is as much a part of the Constitution as the Sovereignty itself, and time has proved that a Constitutional Monarchy is the form of Government best suited to the British people.
'But when it reassembles, it is my intention to urge upon it the passage of bills which will make it a different body to that which we have known for many generation?. Firstly, I shall propose that hereditary Peers resign their right to sit by descent alone, and that for the future they be represented by certain members of their own order elected amongst themselves. By this means the best elements among the aristocracy will be retained and the Upper Chamber disembarrassed of those less useful.
'Secondly, that the House of Peers be strengthened to twice its remaining number by new members; men of proven worth who have served the country well in every walk of life, yet who would never prostitute themselves to enter politics by throwing out promises, impossible of fulfilment, to an ill informed electorate. These will be elected in varying proportions by the newly constituted Upper and Lower Houses, Dominions Parliaments, Councils of Crown Colonies, and on the personal nomination of the Sovereign.
'By these measures it is hoped that a body of men may be gathered together who will represent in achievement, integrity, and intellect, all that is finest, not only in Britain, but in our Empire beyond the seas.
'To such a body we could well restore the ancient powers of the Upper House, while the Lower will remain, not as it has come of late years to be, a manoeuvring ground for ambitious party leaders, and wielding an authority far beyond its rightful place in the Constitution, but an elected body to voice the opinion of the people and a stepping stone for men of talent to the Upper House.
'There will be in future no Prime Minister. That office was created solely on account of the difficulty which William of Orange experienced in speaking and understanding the English language. It is the rightful prerogative of the Crown, and, should His Majesty's condition continue to improve, as we pray it may, he will once more assume the Sovereign's ancient position at the head of the Council table. In the meantime I shall continue to act on his behalf.
'I come now to the greatest step which has so far been taken to bring prosperity back to this dear country of ours. It is a policy which should have been developed long ago, but only this great crisis made possible the removal of opposition in the domestic politics of the Dominions and inter colonial rivalries. I speak of the redistribution of the population throughout the Empire.
'At home we are faced with the tragic figures of the unemployed, while in our Dominions and dependencies there are stored enough fertility and wealth to give abundance to all the Empire's peoples. Emigration in the past has been difficult and expensive: families going out from this country have gone alone to face hardships and, in the remote parts, possible danger.
'In the early days of this crisis I used my personal influence to dispatch a number of Royal Air Force machines to various destinations, and in them sent trusted friends who knew my purpose to act as my ambassadors.
'The response to my appeal by our kindred overseas has been magnificent beyond words, and a unique example of their love for the Mother Country.
'They have agreed to open their vast territories to us, and vast tracts of fertile land, at present difficult of access, are to be brought into cultivation in many portions of the globe.
'New towns and cities are to be built which will offer employment in every type of industry. Free passage will be given to all who are willing to emigrate and accommodation on arrival in these new State owned towns at moderate rentals deducted from subsidised wages, leaving a margin sufficient to ensure a decent standard of living.