Whether a testimonial from Lord Haw-Haw of Zeesen (and Hamburg
and other German radio-stations) is matter for satisfaction or mortification is a question I find it rather hard to decide. What raises the question now is the fact that The Spectator provided Lord Haw-Haw last Tuesday with material for a considerable part of his discourse. " My Chatham House friends," he said (I wonder who they are) " used to tell me it would be a good thing if I took in The Spectator, for careful reading of its columns would provide me with heaps of interesting information, which would no doubt be most welcome to a casual student of international affairs like me. It goes without saying that I'm following their advice." The noble broadcaster then proceeded to draw a series of conclusions congenial to Germany from an article on South Africa in The Spectator of December 1st, which explained very fairly and usefully the line of division between General Hertzog and General Smuts ; what he did not, of course, mention was that the consequence of General Hertzog's critical attitude towards Great Britain—it was from that, needless to say, that Lord Haw-Haw derived cheer— was his defeat in his own party councils and his resignation of the Premiership in General Smuts' favour. It is always, of course, the recognised fate of writers conscientious enough to try to state both sides of a case fairly to be the prey of dishonest commentators, who pounce avidly on the par- ticular set of arguments that suits their case, without a hint that any other point of view was ever stated.
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