Sir John Simon's Seat In dissuading- the Conservatives of Spen
Valley from running a candidate against Sir John Simon, Mr. Baldwin has done a characteristically generous thing. It will " pay " him, we are sure—to put the matter on very low grounds—but we are also sure that he was influenced entirely by his feeling of what was right. When Six John Simon accepted the Chairmanship of the Statutory Commission for India it was arranged not to oppose him at the General Election. It was a clear case for putting country above party ; obviously Sir John Simon will be needed in the House of Commons. Conservatives had not foreseen, however, that Sir John would return before the General Election and enter into the fray with uncom- promising partisanship. Conservatives took the line that this was not part of the bargain. They considered that he had broken a compact and that he must be opposed after all. Sir John denies that he entered into any compact, and the evidence is all on his side. Mr. Baldwin no doubt feels that the character of Sir John's speeches cannot affect the fact that he is a necessary man.
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