I have said nothing about the John Amery case, though
it so happens that there are one or two notes of interest which I could add to what has been said already. But I cannot refrain from reproducing the moving letter from Amery's mother which appeared in the Manchester Guardian on Monday. It ran: " Now that my own dear son has paid the penalty for his sincere if mistaken beliefs may I, at this season of peace and good will, plead through you for the life of the few others who have been selected for trial under the Act of 1351?—Yours, &c., FLORENCE AMERY." The trouble, whether the plea awakes sympathy or not, is that when a man is convicted of treason—which is a question of fact, based on sworn evidence—the only sentence the Judge can pronounce is the death penalty. Amery, it must always be remembered, pleaded guilty. It is, of course, open to the Home Secretary to grant a reprieve in such cases, but that throws a heavy responsibility on him. If the law deserves changing it should be changed by new legislation, not by sidetracking it administratively.
Previous page
