"THE PRESS" AND THE PRIME MINISTER

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22193, 9 September 1937, Page 9

"THE PRESS" AND THE PRIME MINISTER

TO THB IDITOB 0» TH» FBXSB. Sir,—Mr J. J. Comerford says he was for a time amused "by your spasmodic tirade against the Prime Minister. Now what does he mean by this "spasmodic tirade"? As a constant reader of "The Press" I cannot think that it means anything more than that. Mr Comerford resents the fact that you have dared to criticise the Prime Minister at all. I frave read these critical leaders, and whether I agreed with them or not—and sometimes I °-"* not agree—l recognised their fairness. Alter all "The Press" was as much entitled to its opinion as I was to mine or Mr Comerford to his, and it would be sheer impertinence to charge me with "vicious vilification" because I had ventured to express my honest opinBecause you have time and again drawn attention to the yawning gulf between Mr Savage's promises and his fulfilment of them—in many instances, he has not even attempted to mini them—Mr Comerford accuses you of endeavouring "to impugn the honesty and integrity of the Prime Minister. The accusation is utterly absurd and connotes a mental confusion that is incapable of seeing things clearly. Besides it is quite beside the point. It would have been reasonable had Mr Comerford shown that your premises were wrong, and your deductions therefrom as false as the premises. He did not do so because, I presume, he could not. Your statements are not only unchallenged but unchallengeable, and cannot be disposed of by the vituperation of a chagrined political partisan. I hope you will publish this, which I am sure represents the views of thousands of your readers, if it only serves to show Mr Comerford and other Labour zealots that your political leading articles are approved and appreciated throughout the wide constituency "The Press" serves so well.—Yours, etc., S.M. September 8, 1937.