20 JULY 1944, Page 12

Sna,—The pre-war small publisher most certainly deserves special consideration, but

it is questionable whether he has been more greatly handicapped than the publisher with a long back list of publications who lost his stock by enemy action and received no compassionate allowance. Those who were " blitzed " first were made a generous grant ; those who are " blitzed " now are entitled to an allowance ; but those who were bombed at the wrong time got nothing. The fact that it was then impossible to help them does not invalidate their claim to priority the moment paper is available.—Yours faithfully, 4o Museum Street, London, W.C. I. STANLEY UNWIN.