6 AUGUST 1921, Page 2

No one can possibly defend Lord Northcliffe's original ill- deed

in allowing the Times to hold up the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary to personal obloquy and by asserting that they were not fit persons to -send to Washington. That was an offence which deserves the strongest condemnation. Unfor- tunately, however, the Prime Minister in defending himself has been guilty of blunder upon blunder. No doubt the dir c tunstances seemed to point to a very bad faux pas by his enemy Lord Northcliffe, but he should have made quite sure before he struck.so lustily as he did in .the Commons.