TO SIR H. WILSON'S DEATH

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 152, 30 June 1922, Page 7

TO SIR H. WILSON'S DEATH

LORD MIDLETON LIBELLED

MORNING POST FAILS TO

APOLOGISE,

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPTfISMT.)

(AUSTRALIAN • NBW ZEALAND CABLt ASSOCIATION.)

(Received June 30, 10 a.m.)

LONDON, 28th June.

A curious story of how a peer visited the home of Lady Batburst, proprietress of the Morning Post, and demanded an apology for a newspaper criticism, was told in the HouEe of Lords, when Lord Bathurst accused Lord Midleton of calling at the lady's home, trembling' with hysterical excitement, and demanding an instant apology. He declaimed that Lord Midleton told Lady Bathurst that if it had happened in former days he would have shot Lord Batburst.

Lord Midleton, who was in the House of Lords, interjected: "What I said was, that if the circumstances were those of a century ago, I would Ji-ave called out the noble I>ord and attempted to shoot him."

The incident arose when. Lord Midleton called the attention, of the House to a paragraph sent by the Post's Dublin cotwspondent, relating to the murder of Feld-marshal Wilson. This paragraph irsad: "The vast bulk of Southern Irishmen, from the Midleton an ti-partitionists to the Rory O'Connor Republicans, ara going about thetv business as if the Empire's greatest soldier had been: a blind beggar rnn over by a cab. The foul deed gives monuinentaj satisfaction, indeed, for the whole race is steeped in the infamous doctrine that killing is no murder when the -victim is an Orangeman' or a Loyalist." Lord Midleton described the statement as a .calumnious and malicious libel. He said he would not have mentioned the matter but that he had failed to secure a withdrawal of an apology from Lady Bathurst.'

The Lord Chancellor said the case was an astonishing one, and constituted the grossest outrage. He recommended Lord Midleton to take advice as to whether he had no remedy. He added that Lord Bathurst's attitude should be one of sackcloth a.nd' ashes for such a vile insult.'

Lord Bathurat explaiued that inquiries were being, made in Dublin regarding the subject. '