13 OCTOBER 1939, Page 15

I admit to having some sympathy with the unfortunate officials

whose duty it is to draft these leaflets in such a form as will be understood by those unaccustomed to read explicit instructions. I remember that many years ago I tried to redraft the instructions printed upon the application form for passports. I was a clerk in the Foreign Office at the time, and immensely proud of the great department which I served. It seemed to me that an office which had at its command so many linguists ought to be able to produce a simple document in language such as a simple person could readily understand. I took the form down with me for the week-end and spent all Sunday grappling with its intricacies.

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