LORD’S DIARY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29516, 18 May 1961, Page 8

LORD’S DIARY

Appeal For Advice

(Special Crspdt N.Z PA.) LONDON, May 17. At a cost of £ll 3s, Lord Reith, former Director-Gen-eral of the 8.8. C. and generally regarded as the man who “created” the corporation, appealed in the personal columns of “The Times” for advice. His advertisement read: “Lord Reith seeks advice—he has kept a diary with not a day missed for more than 50 years. It is in two parts—--12 volumes of manuscripts, 10 with letters, photographs, newspaper cuttings and such like. He is more and more minded to destroy it because, first, he does not wish to put a burden on either of his children by leaving it to them; second, he does not like to think of it lying in some library for a hundred years and then being scrapped (he would prefer to scrap it himself); and third, he does not want there to be such records of himself. Has anyone any kindly advice?”

If Lord Reith wanted publicity for his diaries he surely got it. for most columnists seized on the advertisement, repeated it and discussed it—many facetiously. Several, however, express the hope that something will be done to preserve this record of 50 years in public life. Those who telephoned Lord Reith to find out more were told by his secretary: “Lord Reith will not speak to the press. He is leaving it to the press to offer their suggestions." Meanwhile the “Yorkshire Post” has offered Lord Reith a home for his diaries and has announced that ‘in due course” it will find him a biographer.