22 JULY 1955, Page 14

SIR, —Your brilliant and courageous leading article of last week

has, 1 hope, brought a little • nearer the abolition of the revolting ritual of capital punishment.

In the news that Mrs. Ellis was, after all, to be put to death, there was double tragedy. For this had been a superb opportunity for the Home Secretary to show that he possessed courage, humanity and an intellect in advance of his times. lf,.rather than allow the hanging of Mrs. Ellis, he had resigned his office, he would have gone down to history as one of the great Home Secretaries of this century: and the death penalty would have been abolished within the year.

He has chosen instead to have his name perpetuated in the company of Ellenborough, Goddard and Maxwell Fyfe. Chacun a son goat.—Yours faithfully,

26 Church Row, NW 3

LUDOVIC KENNEDY