12 JULY 1940, Page 14

COUNTRY LIFE

Citizens and Soldiers Correspondents who have written both to me personally and to The Spectator will be interested to know, perhaps, that the facts in the case of the indiscreet soldier have now been reported to the proper quarter. It will be remembered that a soldier, picked up by me in a car, proceeded at once to give away information about important defence duties. For my benefit, and for the benefit of other motorists who may be similarly placed, a commanding officer has given the following admirable advice:

" A citizen is bound to take cognisance of a breach of the law. A soldier is a citizen before he is a soldier, and as such is bound to observe the law. I suggest, therefore, that as a citizen it was your duty to bring an obvious breach of the law committed by the soldier to the notice of his commanding officer. I can assure you, speaking as a commanding officer, that I should be only too glad to have such an incident brought to my notice."