Mr. Chamberlain said that the Prime Minister's principles were satisfactory,
but there had been " too much coincidence?' It was a very unfortunate coincidence that the very men associated with the newspaper attacks on Government servants, who were dismissed soon afterwards, should be found indispensable to the Government. Relations between the Government and the Press were always dangerous, and were specially dangerous now that a Censorship was at work. A Minister owning a newspaper could not retain office if. his newspaper were prosecuted. The Home Secretary's task in dealing fairly with all newspapers was thus rendered more difficult. He went on to say that it was an invidious position for one newspaper owner to be given access to the Government's confidential information from which his rivals in business were excluded. Mr. Chamberlain expressed regret that the Ministers owning newspapers had not relieved the Prime Minister of the embarrassment in which their appointment had placed him.
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