23 JANUARY 1942, Page 4

I am glad to see the Headmaster of Rugby's eminently

sane comment on Captain Harold Balfour's dictum that " constant ruthlessness is the quality we must adopt," and that when it is a question of "how to deal with the Hun after the war," "let there be justice, but let it be tempered with memory—and a devil of a lot of memory." Whether Captain Balfour means by Hun individual Germans or Germany as a whole; and if the latter,

what form his ruthlessness is to take is not clear ; some elabo tion here might be instructive. As far as individual Germans concerned an Inter-Allied conference sitting in London bef Captain Balfour spoke had resolved on " the punishment throu the channels of organised justice " of all Germans found guil of the crimes against civilians of which abundant evidence already forthcoming. That is a clear, proper and necess undertaking. But it does not content Captain Balfour. His c is for " justice tempered with memory." What is to be reme bered when an individual is being tried? Nothing is relev there but the evidence in the individual case. There is a wi gulf between Captain Balfour's ideas and the Allied Conference

—and Captain Balfour is on the wrong side of it. * * * *