TRUTH’S A TALL ORDER

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33261, 26 June 1973, Page 14

TRUTH’S A TALL ORDER

(By

WHIM WHAM)

“Well, I suppose there are always lessons to be learned from everything. I„m ean , people want more careful and, above all, people don t _wan found out.”—Lord Lambton, on a British television programme.

By such Experience we’re taught. Be more careful, don’t get caught. Be warned by Me, as I confess My own apalling Carelessness! Sir, who are We to ridicule The politician’s Golden Rule? State Secrets, pasting over Cracks. Concealing Clues, and covering Tracks, That’s Half the Art of Government, — The other Half’s pure Accident. How many Governments would hold Power for a Day, if Truth were told? How many People want to hear It, Or Anything too painfully near It? Unpalatable Truths about Themselves, when Leaders get found out. The noble Lord is what I’d call A trivial Instance, after All, — The Carelessness of Watergate Is a Lot worse to contemplate: Where some were caught, Some got away, And Some conceal what Some betray, Careful or careless What they say, — They probe the Wound, they lance the Swelling, Who’s telling What, and who’s not telling? When is It going to be detected Which Tissue’s clean, and Which infected. People don’t want to be found out, — Easy for You, my Lord, no doubt, But in that fateful Senate Room Who’s to be found out next, by Whom. What Cupboard’s hiding next Week’s news, — A Skeleton! and if so, Whose?. ,