SIR,—Mr. Frank Singleton is wrong in supposing that I do
not read 'the reputable newspapers' as well as Hansard. There are only two explanations of the discrepancy between their reports on the House of Lords debate. One is that the Bishop of Rochester, having handed an advance copy of his speech to the press, realised that his reference to a homosexual club in Cambridge was idiotic and cut it out when he came to deliver his speech. The other is that after the debate he asked the editor of Hansard to delete this reference from the official record, presumably for the same rea- son. Meanwhile, this ill-considered piece of gossip was being relayed to Top People all over the world, and was duly handed down by Mr. Frank Powell to readers of the Star.
It is not my fault, nor Mi. Singleton's, nor even the Bishop of Rochester's that 'reputable newspapers' do not make accurate reports of what is said in debate. On the same occasion The Times reported that Lord Pakenham had mentioned me by name. In fact, the only reference to me was an oblique if flattering one —as 'the author of a well-known book.'—Yours faithfully,
Previous page
