An Observation
Hansard for December 1st, in its report of the Home Secretary's speech in the Mosley debate, contained the following paragraph, on which a word of comment is requisite : "The Spectator, which is, I understand, a Conservative weekly review—Fon. Members,: "Liberal "1--attacked me about the brutality of t8 B."
The question as to this journal's politics is soon disposed of. It is neither Conservative nor Liberal. It is completely independent. Neither the paper nor its editor has any kind of connexion with any political party. The late Mr. St. Loe Strachey, who was both proprietor and editor of The Spectator, described its position as Left-Centre,. and that definition accurately describes its attitude today. As to the allegation that The Spectator has " attacked " the Home Secretary about the " brutality " of 18 B, we can only invite Mr. Morrison to indicate when and where. We did indeed publish this year, in accordance with The Spectator's long tradition of giving reasonable opportunity for the expression of opinions with which it may or may not agree, an article headed "i8 B Prisoners," by a Special Correspondent, but it was clear that that did not commit the paper editorially, and in any case the article consisted mainly of long quotations front a -trenchant judgement by Lord Justice Goddard. If there was an assault on the Home Secretary, that eminent Judge was. the chief assailant.
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