SIR,—Mr. Ryan has Written a fair-minded and highly readable notice
of Mr. Montgomery Hyde's life of Carson. But in stressing the qualities of the indomitable counsel in-the courts, and the menacing figure on public platforms and in the House, we are apt to overlook the man of chivalrous mind who in private life could always be depended upon to take up the cudgels for justice and fair-play especially when they were in danger from the operations of vested interests and Government departments.
Take the case of George Archer-Shee, whose father was a highly respected Roman Catholic gentleman, the son being a cadet in 1908 at the Naval College at Osborne. Archer-Shee, senior, had a letter from the Admiralty asking him to withdraw his boy from the College, as it was held that he had stolen a postal order belonging to another boy and cashed it. So the lad was branded as,a thief and a forger and the authorities took up a position of infallibility. After many fruitless attempts to obtain a hearing in other quarters, the case was laid before Sir Edward Carson. The great man, after seeing the boy and probing the matter, decided that young Archer-Shee was innocent and made up his mind to see the matter through personally. The Admiralty refused the judicial enquiry asked for, so, after much further delay, the ingenious advocate had the idea of proceeding by what is called "Petition of Right." Ultimately the case came before the Court of Appeal, Carson carried his point, the lad was triumphantly vindicated and the Treasury paid a thumping sum by way of costs and compensation.
With many thousands of people I had the privilege of witnessing Carson personally unveiling his own statue of colossal proportions, erected by the public on the approach to the Parliament House. One wonders whether there has ever been a similar instance of such an event in a man's own lifetime.
Mr. Ryan suggests that Carson's ancestors had their " home " in Scotland. Has he any warrant for this ?—Yours faithfully, 'Lancaster Gate, W.2.
W. JAMES.
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