12 JULY 1945, Page 4

• I have not, Ur various reasons, pleaded the cause

of any individual political candidate in this column. If I mention one now, it is not for the purpose of either helping or hindering ; that, since all the voting is over (except in two constituencies), is no longer possible. The candidate in question is Mr. A. P. Herbert, late Senior Burgess for the University of Oxford. Mr. Herbert's election address is as lively—and as full of common sense—as its authorship would suggest. It is double, or more than double, the length of most addresses, but none the worse for that. Mr. Herbert has no belief in finessing. I like particularly one paragraph: " I do not think recrimination about the pre-war years is profitable or seemly. I have small respect for those young patriots `reserved' or unfit (it is sad how many who wanted to ' fight' in 1938 (or earlier) turned out to be C.3 in 1939), whose chosen war work was to write remunerative works of abuse under false names against statesmen either dead or bound to silence by the party truce. The Tories can look after themselves, but I am concerned for fair play and the decencies of public lifeand, since this stuff is flying about again, perhaps an Independent life; say an impartial word."

There follow some very vigorous impartial words.

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