A Spectator's Notebook
LORD CILCENNIN has so often had his fleet sunk under him by the press that the news that he had at last been succeeded at the Admiralty by Lord Hailsham came almost as a surprise. It is said that when the Tories were about to form a ministry in the Twenties they were at first rather worried how they would manage as they possessed no experienced statesmen, but that they were consoled by the words of (I think) Lord London- derry: 'It is all right, there's a fellow called Pig who will do it all for us.' The fellow called Pig' was Sir Douglas Hogg, first Lord Hailsham, and although Sir Anthony Eden's Gov- ernment is in a rather different position, it will be greatly strengthened by the presence of the second Lord Hailsham. His abilities are obvious and have been revealed often enough in this paper, so that 1 need not dwell upon them. I do not think anything could intimidate Quintin Hogg—certainly not Mrs. Braddock, to whom he said in the House of Commons : 'You must not take advantage of the fact that you are my pin-up girl.' Nor his own party, which he has on several occa- sions outspokenly and effectively opposed. Nor even the Court of Appeal. Those who are aware of the extreme deference with which the Bar addresses the Bench can imagine the atmo- sphere in court when Quintin Hogg pointed out that a sug- gestion put forward by one of their Lordships was supported by no evidence whatsoever and added that he thought 'even this court should pay some attention to the evidence.'
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