6 MAY 1949, Page 20

HE, SHE OR IT

Sut,—In his wise essay on infant prodigies, Mr. Harold Nicolson writes: " The child must not be allowed-to imagine that it is in any way superior to its less gifted contemporaries." This would have displeased that former editor of a London daily newspaper who laid down the following rule for the guidance of his staff: " Never refer to a child as ' it' ; it annoys the mother, and, after all, even the youngest babies have sex."—Yours

faithfully, N. RIDSDILL- 318 Kingston Road, Ashford, Middlesex.