Honours and Merit
In an interesting letter in another column, Sir Robert Greig (whose own knighthood was awarded to him as a distinguished civil servant) puts strongly the case for the abolition of all titles. That can be advocated quite reasonably ; the United States exists tolerably well without formal titles except the political "Hon." (though it derives considerable satisfaction from a multiplicity of Colonels and Judges). However that may be, a sufficient initial instalment of reform would be the substitution of life-peerages for hereditary titles. Reasons for elevation to the peerage may be good or bad, but no sound argument at all can be advanced for the succession of the new- fledged peer's (possibly unborn) eldest son to the title and a seat in the House of Lords. It may be objected that that applies equally to succession to the Throne. For various reasons it does not. More- over, there is no better alternative to the existing system available in this case ; in the cast of the peerage there as. Let Mr. Churchill have the courage to innovate, and advise the King to create some life- peers—like the Law Lords, who are in the Upper House for good business reasons.
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