22 JULY 1922, Page 10

THE " SPECTATOR " AND THE GO VERNMENT OF THE

HUSH FREE STATE.

WE have' received the following communication from Messrs. Eason and Son, Ltd., the well-known Dublin newsagents. Apparently the Provisional Government cannot bear honest criticism, for we have said nothing which could injure their cause or help their enemies. Rather, we wrote very strongly in support of Sir James Craig's wise policy of helping them to restore order in Ireland.

."Memo. !men EASON & SON, LTD., 80 MiddleAbbey &treat,

DUBLIN.

N/PB17722. 17th July, 1922. The Publisher, Spectator, London. DEAR Sra,—As you are probably aware, all newspapers must be censored before they are circulated. We submit copies of each paper each week. We regret to inform you that the Spectator for week ending July 15th was not passed by the Censor, therefore we cannot of course circulate same. We will return same to you as unsolds in due course.—Vours faithfully, RAMON & SON, LTD."

There is, of course, no appeal from this decree, which presumably is aimed at the Spectator on general principles, and is likely, therefore, to be maintained. No one could pretend that our comments on Irish affairs, often a week old, disclose military secrets of importance to the Irregulars—the plea given by the British Government to justify the suppression of the Morning Post in Ireland. No appeal therefore to the Coalition Government would be of any avail.

We are naturally not less but more than ever anxious to get the Spectator into the hands of our Irish readers, and wepresume that at present we shall not be prevented doing so by means of the Post. Until, then, the English Post Office receives orders from the Provisional Government not to accept the Spectator when sent to Irish addresses, we shall be glad to supply copies of the paper by Post. Later perhaps Messrs. Eason will again be able to supply their customers in the usual way. Persons wishing to be supplied with the Spectator by Post should write to the Manager, Spectator Office, 13 York Street, Covent Garden, London, W.C. 2.

We may add, in case of any misapprehension, that the article dealing with the trial of Sir Henry Wilson's murderers was not due in any way to the official boycott. The article was decided on before Messrs. Eason's letter reached us. It owes nothing to this incident.