[ Robert Lynd, Irish journalist and essayist. ] Copy of Typed Letter to the Editor of 'Now and Then' protesting against an article by Jonathan Cape criticising the 'Daily News' literary page, of which he is editor. With copy covering letter to Cape.

The two items in fair condition, on aged and spotted paper with slight damage to one corner and minor water staining. ONE: Copy of Typed Letter to 'Jonathan Cape Esq., | 11, Gower Street, | LONDON, W.C.1.' 1p., folio. He begins: 'Dear Cape, | When you told me at the Devonshire Club that you were going to criticise the "Daily News" Literary page, I was charmed, as I always welcome attacks within reason. I did not realise that you were going to single out the paper that gives the greatest proportion of its space to literature for a quite libellous onslaught.' He hopes that Cape will publish the letter to the editor of 'Now and Then', which he is enclosing, in his 'next number', as it shows that 'the attack was based on complete ignorance of the amount of space we devote to literature'. He feels the attack is 'likely to do the paper a great deal of damage among the people to whom "Now and Then" goes, and asks him to place an apology in his next advertisement in The Times. He concludes: 'I am pretty sure that you did not write the article yourself, but whoever did ought to have kept to something like the facts and to have kept within the limits of fair criticism.' TWO: 'To the Editor. | "Now and Then".' From 'ROBERT LYND, | Literary Editor of the "Daily News".' 2pp., folio. Begins: 'It is unfortunate that the writer of the attack on the "Daily News" in your pages should not have taken the trouble to read the paper he attacks even for a single week. If he had done so, he would have realised that the "Daily News", alone among London daily newspapers, contains book reviews on every day of the week. He tells us that "while some hundreds of books are issued each week by publishers in Britain, the London "Daily News" considers two or three in its literary page twice a week". There is not a single paper in London concerning which this statement is so widely untrue as it is of the "Daily News". Our reviews are an every day feature as is the case with no other London daily, and we devote a greater proportion of our space to literature than any other newspaper in London.' The letter proceeds in the same indignant vein, including a list of 29 individuals, starting with Arnold Bennett and ending with 'Prof. Ernest Weekley', who have 'contributed reviews to the "Daily News" since I became Literary Editor'.