13 DECEMBER 1940, Page 13

"FALSE AS A BULLETIN ! "

Six,—Those who are familiar with Carlyle's Hero Worship may remember that in the last chapter, devoted to "The Hero as King," there is striking evidence that the enemy's fabricated communiqué, so blatant and so persistent, is not a new feature in warfare. Thus the sage of Chelsea writes: "False as a bulletin" became a proverb in Napoleon's time. He makes what excuse he could for it: that it was necessary to mislead the enemy, to keep up his own men's courage, and so forth. On the whole there are no excuses. A man in no case

has liberty to tell lies. It had been in the long-run better for Napoleon, too, if he had not told any.

History repeats itself today with renewed force.—Faithfully yours,