16 APRIL 1910, Page 2

Mr. Healy defended Mr. O'Brien from the charge of breach

of confidence in a very moderately worded letter in Thursday's papers. He gave quotations to show that if confidences had been divulged by any one, Mr. Redmond, Mr. O'Connor, and Mr. Dillon were to blame. He added, however, that he felt no doubt that these gentlemen had not been bound to secrecy as to the matters in question." In a word, Mr. Healy pleads the well-recognised principle that if there are several parties to a confidential communication, you cannot allow one section to speak out without according a similar latitude to all the rest.