The true inwardness of the hostility displayed by the North-
cliffe Press towards Mr. Chamberlain was recalled by the Morning Post of Monday. Mr. Chamberlain's offence was the speech of February 19th, 1918, on the connexion between Lord Northcliffe and the Ministry, in which he told Mr. Lloyd George that " the Government have surrounded themselves quite unnecessarily with an atmosphere of distrust because they have allowed them- selves to become so intimately associated with these great news- paper proprietors." He pointed out the impossibility of allowing a Minister, through his newspapers, to attack his colleagues or distinguished servants of the Government to which he belonged. In a later speech, of March 11th, 1918. Mr. Chamberlain de- nounced the campaign of the Northcliffe Press against individual servants of the Crown, whose dismissal or resignation usually followed. " There has been too much coincidence," said Mr. Chamberlain, in these attacks and removals. Every one felt that he was right.
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