23 NOVEMBER 1934, Page 38

NOT QUITE MEDIAEVAL

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Educationists will endorse your criticism (The Spectator, November 16th, page 743) of Lord Hugh Cecil's defence of child labour in his speech at the Church Congress ; but may I be allowed to protest against your describing Lord Hugh's attitude as " mediaeval " ? The Middle Ages could never have sponsored such an argument for the simple reason that it would never have been understood ; its validity (such as it -has)" dates from the industrial era. Besides, the family of Cecil does not derive from the Middle Ages, socially, politically, or in the matter of religion, and to couple them together must, I imagine, be an embarrassment to both