24 JULY 1926, Page 13

BOOKS AND THE DATE OF PUBLICATION [To the Editor of

the SPECTATOR.] Sin, -Your correspondent Mr. P. E. Chester rightly complains of the omission of the date of publication from the title pages of modern books. The omission of the date is indefensible.

I am wondering if the omission is as frequent as Mr. Chester

thinks. Of recent years it has been a custom with a great number of publishers to print- the date of publication on the back of the title page instead of on the face of the title page. This is preferable to the old method as the full biographical details can then be given. Further, the balance and symmetry of the title page is frequently destroyed by the date appearing by itself under the publisher's imprint.—! am, Sir, &c.,

30 Bedford Square, London, W.C. 1.

JONATHAN CAPE.