PRIME MINISTER AND JOURNALISM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20432, 12 June 1928, Page 12

PRIME MINISTER AND JOURNALISM.

, NOT A SINGLE OFFER. A PENNY A MILE. CFbom Oub Own Corbbsboitdent.) LONDON, April 2Z At the luncheon, in honour of Lord Burnham the Prime Minister made humorous allusion to the journalistic activities of Cabinet Ministers. The chairman (Mr R. D. Blumenfeld) had mentioned that Mr Baldwin was the only man among the 500 present who was not in some way connected with newspapers. “ I feel, said the Prime Minister., “ I must say one word on that somewhat invidious exclusion referred to by Mr Blumenfeld when he spoke words to make me feel an alien amongst you. (Laughter.) Both the married state and the single state are highly honourable, but yet, is there a woman who in her old age and not married, on looking back, does not like to feel that at one time and in one place she had an offer of marriage? “I am now a sexagenarian. My colleagues are popular, and in request. (Laughter.) I have never yet had a single offer of any kind to make any contribution on any subject to the press. (Laughter.) lam not of a jealous nature- (Laughter.) Spreto injuria formae leaves me cold. But yet, sometimes when I read what I believe has been solicited, and rewarded with, a remuneration which seems to me of full value, I cannot help feeling that if I tried, and that if my friends were patient with me, I might produce something that might be at least worth, if not a penny a line, a penny a mile. (Laughter.) I will content myself here, in the presence of so many men of such influence, with calling their attention to that fact. I say no more. (Laughter.) A SIMPLE AMATEUR. “ It may be that some feeling of Christian kindness, pity, or what not, may move them. It may be that before I leave this room I may have an offer of some kind. (Laughter.) I could write gdite an interesting history of the fall Bf the Coalition —(laughter)—and as Bther people have given their views about me, I might have some views about others. I cannot tell whether they have any money value —you know that I am but a simple amateur —but I do beg you to think over these things. After all, when I retire o'r take some other form of work, I should like to feel that at any rate there was one kind-hearted man who, out of pity, or whatever the motive might have been, did once make me one offer to lee my name, with my own stuff over it—and I lay great stess on that—(laughter and prolonged cheers) —in some popular journal. “ Think what it would mean to a Prime Minister. Think, if I could read some day: ‘ A powerful article will appear in next week’s issue by Mr Stanley Baldwin,’ I remember seeing, years ago, week by week, ‘ Another powerful article will appear by Mr Horatio Bottomley.’ (Laughter.) No one has called anything of mine powerful yet. It :? my only hope, and I leave its fulfilment in your hands.” —(Cheers.) Lord Birkenhead, the proposer of a later toast, concluded with a reference to Mr Baldwin’s aspirations. “ I will only say this, and I believe Lord Beading will agree, that those who have been trained, who have undergone a long apprenticeship to the task and the pursuit of journalism, as he and I have done —(laughter)—do not invite, and propose to every legitimate means in our power to resist, the competition of sexagßWtrian amateurs.” —(Laughter.)