SIR,—You have been very generous in the space you have
allowed your critics. But, Sir, if you have no evidence to support the serious allegations made by Mr. Fairlie, suggesting that certain people and newspapers attempted to influence the inquiries concerning the pre- sumedly treasonable diplomats, Maclean and Burgess, would it not be better either to admit this or to say nothing?
Do you deny that we have throughout been concerned solely with the journalistic methods used to produce a spurious interview with Mrs. Maclean, and with the journalistic harrying of her and of other relatives of the vanished diplomats? When you write 'Mrs. Maclean was lying,' do you mean that Mrs. Maclean gave the interview, which we say she did not give? Do you mean that the witness who was present when she refused to answer telephoned questions was also lying in saying that she gave no interview? What do you mean by the 'vindication of the journalists concerned'? The vindication of the editor of the Daily Express who suppressed letters denying the authenticity of the interview? Or of his reporter who alleged that it had taken place? Or of those who waylaid Mrs. Mac- lean's children and tried to bribe her servant?
Are you defending the journalistic harrying of this woman? Are you still denying that harrying ever occurred? Or are you merely?! finding a way of not admitting that Mr. Fairlie's original allegations concerning what was supposed to have happened 'at the time of the disappearance of Burgess and Maclean' were simply untrue?
Please do not reply that Mrs. Maclean de- ceived everybody by not saying that she intended to join her husband in Russia—unless you believe that that retrospectively justifies the falsifying of an interview and the badger- ing of her, her children, their grandmother and other relations for a phoney newspaper story. It seems a pity to use the Spectator's great and revitalised prestige to condone one of the nastier pieces of newspaper bullying of recent years, and dishonest not to admit that your Political Commentator has made unjustifiable allegations against Lady Violet Bonham Carter and others.—Yours faithfully,
The Observer
DAVID ASTOR
Editor
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