Sun and moon
Sir: Bill Grundy, in his article 'Sun and moon' in the 10 January issue dealing with the demon- stration on 27 October, said: 'Our national pride was boosted even more by a picture of an apparently bleeding demon- strator being led out of Grosvenor Square by two policemen. The picture was reassuringly explained away by a Press Association caption which made it clear that it was paint, not blood, which was disfiguring the fellow's features. He had poured it over himself, we were to under- stand, in an attempt to provoke people and stir things up a bit, the bounder.'
The facts are that the picture was taken by George Stephenson, a Press Association photo- grapher, and was distributed with the caption: 'A man, with blood streaming down his face, departs in the grip of two policemen. . .
Subsequently, Scotland Yard press bureau contacted us to say that, on examination, the man's face was found to be daubed with red paint An amended caption was then issued: 'A man, who was thought to have blood stream- ing down his face, is helped away by two policemen during the confrontation with anti- Vietnam war demonstrators in Grosvenor Square, London, today. Later, Scotland Yard press bureau said that, upon examination, the man's face was found to be daubed with red paint and not blood. . .
If the picture was reassuringly explained away it was not by the Press Association.
On 13 November the Press Association re- issued the picture with this caption : 'Remem- ber this picture we issued of a man thought to have blood streaming down his face. . . . Later that day Scotland Yard press bureau stated that the man's face was daubed with red paint and not blood. Now today, 13 November, Scotland Yard says it was blood. . . . Today's Yard statement was issued follow- ing an official inquiry ordered after the man had walked into a newspaper office and pro- tested that it was not paint but blood on his face. . .
The Yard statement of 13 November was also reported on our news wire. I attach a photostatic copy which you may care to pass to Bill Grundy. who says in his article that it took Scotland Yard press bureau two and a half months to admit that an injustice had been done.'
G. Cromarty Bloom General Manager. The Press Association Ltd, 85 Fleet Street, London EC4
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