POWER OF PEN

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 144, 14 March 1931, Page 7

POWER OF PEN

Press Domination is By-election Issue BALDWIN SPEAKS OUT By Telegraph—Pros Assn—Copyright London, March 12. “The issue in the St. George’s byelection is whether the Press or the party ig to rule,” says Mr. Stanley Baldwin in a letter to Mr. Alfred Duff Cooper, official Conservative candidate. “The principle for which you are fighting is vitally important to all parties. The question of my leadership must be settled by constitutional methods. Nobody In such a position, acting as trustee for the party interests, could surrender to a Press campaign, the unscrupulousness of which not only offends every British tradition of fair play and honesty, but is unparalleled in the world. Yielding to it would be a betrayal of the party. “The question of Press domination must be faced if the Conservative Party is to retain its sound independence. I ask the electors to strike a blow' for party independence, fair dealing, and clean politics.”

Already Mr. Duff-Cooper has made it clear that he is well aware of the issues referred to by his chosen leader. In opening the campaign a few days ago he defended Mr. Baldwin and defined the issue as being whether the Conservative Party should be allowed to choose its own leader or submit to the dictatorship of the Lord Rothermere or Lord Beaverbrook section of the Press. Additional emphasis has been laid on the question of party versus Press by the fact that Sir Ernest Petter is contesting this seat which has been left vacant by the death of Sir L. Worthington-Evans as an Independent Conservative. This is a definite challenge to Mr. Baldwin’s leadership. He favours Empire Free (Trade, economy, and a firm hand in India. Lord Rothermere's principal newspaper is the “Daily Mail,” and that of Lord Beaverbrook the ‘Daily Express.”