A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK T HE instalment of G. M. Young's Life
of Baldwin in last Sunday's Sunday Times makes fascinating reading. Bit by bit the whole Abdication story is being pieced together, though Mr. Churchill, who saw as much of what was happening as most people, remains silent. The best accounts extant so far are the Duke of Windsor's own narrative in his book A King's Story and the chapter on the whole subject in the last volume of the History of The Times. Now we get the picture as seen from another angle, in many ways the most important angle of all. Mr. Young has not a great deal to add to what was known already, but the concern taken by the Prime Minister to sound all opinion that mattered is clearly demon- strated. One or two new figures are introduced. H. A. Gwynne, then Editor of the Morning Post, who is mentioned in The Times History as having been in consultation with the Editor of that journal is now shown to have written to the Prime Minister as early in November, intimating that the Press could not much longer maintain its self-imposed silence on the King's association with Mrs. Simpson. Another interesting piece of news is that Mr. Baldwin confidentially consulted Miss Irene Ward, then M.P. for Wallsend, as to how much was known, and what was thought, of the King's affairs in that part of the north of England which she knew best. And one unanswered question presents itself. The King got the idea that The Times was about to publish an attack on Mrs. Simpson, and asked Baldwin to stop it. The Prime Minister very properly said he had no power over the Press, but in the end said he would ask to be allowed to read a proof of the article (which in fact was perfectly innocuous). A proof was sent to Downing Street at midnight, but according to Mr. Young " Baldwin had gone to bed "; according to the Editor of The Times," towards midnight I sent a proof of the leader by messenger to Downing Street and heard no more about it." Did Baldwin read the leader before publication ? * * * *
Previous page
