[Collie Knox, the Daily Mail's 'star writer', bemoans his sacking from his £4000 a year job.] Typed Letter Signed ('Collie') with Autograph postscript, to Fleet Street editor Collin Brooks, discussing the circumstances of his dismissal.

See Knox's obituary, Times, 4 May 1977 (which refers to 'some passages at arms' he had at the BBC with Sir John Reith). 3pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor staining from paperclip. An interesting glimpse into the world of Fleet Street 'big salaries' during the war period. He begins: 'My dear Collin Brooks, | A letter such as yours, from a man such as yourself for whom I have so strong a personal, and professional, regard comes as a gleam of blue in a darkish sky.' He proceeds to bemoan his sacking by the Daily Mail: 'Yes, it is a bad business. Six months ago, having had two cracking offers, I asked the Mail people if they were not renewing my contract would they tell me. […] Then ten days ago Prew, the Editor, who is but a mouthpiece for Stanley Bell, sent for me and said just this “Papers are so small. Your work needs Space. You are still our star writer, but as your salary is so big we tell you we cannot renew your contract”. Not a word of thanks, of appreciation of my work, no regret . . . just given three weeks notice like a housemaid. It is odd for me to recall that I was told officially a year or so ago that my work had put about 200,000 on the circulation! | Well, there it is. It is not pleasant having £4,000 a year swept away from under one in the middle of a war . . And yet, I have a strange feeling of freedom, of relief from serving people who are utterly inhuman, ungrateful, and who seem to me in their outlook and action to typify all we are fighting Against'. He discusses his agent 'Mr A S Watt', and the 'old offers from Beaverbrook and Kemsley', which 'do not hold good now . . small papers etc'. 'It is some consolation that the Street and the Mail staff appear to think that R [i.e. Rothermere] and Bell have gone mad. He asks if Brooks knows 'Brown of the Amalgamated Press, or could say a word to Beaverbrook, or Kemsley . . or even Robertson of the Express group'. He concludes: 'But big salaries are over, I know . . for the war. But I would be glad of a job in which I could do my damnest [sic] for people who would treat me properly.' The autograph postscript concerns his forthcoming 'War book called “Heroes All” (Hodder & Stoughton)', regarding which 'the Ministry of Information are keen […] specially for America'. After the war Knox returned to the Daily Mail, and remained there until 1955. Such was Knox's celebrithy that his name, according to Patridge, was used as rhyming slang for 'pox'.