10 NOVEMBER 1928, Page 3

We regret to record the death of Mr. W. L.

Courtney at the age of seventy-eight. London had known him so long as a journalist, as Literary Editor and as a leader- 'writer of the Daily Telegraph, and as Editor of the Fort, nightly Review that it had almost forgotten that he had been an Oxford don. Nothing seemed more likely at one time than that he would spend his life at Oxford lecturing on Plato and the English philosophers. His eye, however, was always roaming beyond the horizon. of Oxford. Perhaps his intense interest in acting was a sign of the non-academic, or only partly academic, tastes which were later to decide his career. Those who knew him best at all events were least surprised when he gave up Oxford for London. He was more unconventional in his habits than in his literary judgments, but though he seemed to be " safe " he was actually ready to welcome what was new and strange. He was an accomplished guide and a generous encourager to his contributors.