BEHIND THE TIMES
SIR.—All Mr. David Astor's friends admire his instinctive amiability in helping lame dogs over stiles, even when the dog might not wish to take the hazard. But it is doubtful whether he has rendered any true service to Sir William Haley by his letter in your issue of December 13.
Mr. Astor's point about the way some Section of the press attack people who cannot answer back is well taken, but is Sir William Haley an underdog or as lame as Mr. Astor seems to imply? It is somewhat unfair of Mr. Astor, as you, sir, have suggested, to relegate Sir William to the 'category of royalty and fallen priests unable to answer press criticisms.' If Mr. Astor, who is the editor of the Astor-owned Observer, can answer press criticism, what is to prevent Sir William, editor of The Times (another Astor-owned newspaper) from doing the same? But if, for any reason, Sir William feels inhibited from defending himself under his own name, could he not write under the pen-name of Oliver Edwards? It could, of course, be objected that the real Oliver Edwards might sue him. But surely Sir William, to avoid confusion, could put his signature in quotes thus: 'Oliver Edwards'?
In any case, if some member of the Astor clan must come to Sir William's defence, why should the onus fall on Mr. David Astor? Accepting the assumption that Sir William is so badly situated in Printing House Square that he cannot defend himself either in his own columns or in the columns of the Spectator, or in those of the Observer, would not Lord Astor (Third Viscount of Hever Castle) who, in the late Twenties was polo correspondent for The Times newspaper in Honolulu and now resides at Cliveden; or Lord Astor (First Baron of Hever Castle, who resides at Hever Castle and is principal proprietor of The Times newspaper) be more qualified to enter the lists on Sir William's behalf?
As someone who regularly pays 4d. for his morn- ing copy of The Times newspaper, I, for one, am glad that Sir William does not waste his own time in defending himself from criticism; but 'I would be even more glad and feel I were getting better value for my 4d. if he would devote a little more attention to the news and political columns of his newspaper and a little less to the literary columns.—Yours
faithfully, RANDOLPH S. CHURCHILL Stour, East Bergholt, Suffolk
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