5 SEPTEMBER 1908, Page 16

"THAN WHOM."

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIE,-I hope you will allow one who has been a regular reader and admirer of the Spectator for many years to point out a serious grammatical error which constantly disfigures its pages,—viz., the expression "than whom." It occurs twice in the Spectator of August 8th, first in " News of the Week " : "M. Guyot, than whom there exists no sounder Free-trader, made an excellent speech." The error is clearly shown by altering the paragraph as follows: "M. Guyot made an excel- lent speech ; there exists no sounder Free-trader than he" (not " than him"). The second case is found in your article " George Grenfell and the Congo " : "Sir Harry Johnston, than whom no man is a better authority, pays," &c.—I am,