Lord Weir's Reason

The Archbishop of Wales could not come. Lady Ampthill and Margot, Countess of Oxford and Asquith sent their regrets. The Archbishop of York thought the use of his name was enough. Professor Hector Hetherington of Moral Philosophy at Liverpool University had a previous engagement. But an immense crowd of "Adults Only" hurried to Central Hall, Westminster and waited breathlessly to hear the real truth about Hon. Violet Blanche Douglas-Pennant, onetime Commandant of the Women's Royal Air Force.

In 1918 she was abruptly dismissed from the service by Lord Weir, president of the Air Council. People, and Hon. Violet Blanche particularly, wanted to know why. She refused to accept any other government post until her name had been cleared. She comes of potent family: her brother is Lord Penrhyn and she is related to Viscounts Falmouth and Portman, Sir W. E. Cuthbert-Quilter and Dudley M'Garel-Hogg, Lord Magheramorne. There were editorials in the newspapers and an investigation by the House of Lords Select Committee. Nothing came of it except a brief statement from the Attorney General in the House of Commons in 1929:

"There is not and never has been the smallest ground for suggesting that Miss Douglas-Pennant was guilty of any kind of moral turpitude or moral fault or moral obloquy. . . . There is no charge whatever against Miss Douglas-Pennant's general efficiency."

Hon. Violet Blanche's potent relatives and speakers at the Central Hall meeting last fortnight gave the lie direct to the Attorney General. After a few kind words by the chairman, famed Dr. Frederick William Norwood, pastor of the London City Temple, a Mr. J. J. Edwards rose to make the speech of the evening:

"At long last the charges that wrere made against Miss Douglas-Pennant and which brought about her dismissal are known. She was accused of being immoral with women, in other words of being a Sapphist! . . . When this information was given to Lord Weir he was so shocked that he lost all sense of reason."

William John Brown, Laboritc M. P., was next to speak:

"There are Ministers in the Government today who know that the case was a monstrous injustice and ought to be put right. There are two men who stand in the way of justice being done in this case: Lord Weir and Mr. Ramsay MacDonald."

"Why Ramsay MacDonald?" boomed a deep voice.

Nobody paid any attention to him. Laborite Brown moved a resolution calling on Prime Minister MacDonald "to make complete reparation."

"The resolution.'' said the Manchester Guardian, "was seconded by Ex-Inspector Syme, who received a great ovation. He referred briefly to his own long struggle for justice and said that Miss Douglas-Pennant had the same difficulties to face."

The resolution was passed unanimously. Hon. Violet Blanche herself went to the platform, modestly thanked the assemblage, and the Adults filed from the hall, proud that justice had been done.

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