27 SEPTEMBER 1935, Page 20

SIR SAMUEL HOARE

[To the Editor of TIIE SPECTATOR.] Sni,—Your interesting Occasional Biography of Sir Samuel Hoare calls for one comment. You say that when he went to the India Office, " he developed a tremendous industry " : no, not " developed." We, who were his contemporaries at Harrow and Oxford, know that industry was then the keynote of his success. Whether competing for a prize essay at Harrow, or working for his 1st in History at Oxford, he was always at it—work, work, work !

But work was not all. Under the beautifully groomed exterior there was a whimsical sense of humour and imagina- tion. Concealed by an equable temper, there was an obstinate refusal to budge on occasions. Good qualifications for a Foreign Secretary.—I am, Sir, &c., AN ADMIRER.