Daily Mail, London, 16 June 1910, p.6

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To the Editor of The Daily Mail

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Sir, — May I take exception to an article in The Daily Mail on “Caning at Eton.”

It seems to me a great pity that the public should be given a false impression of the existing state of affairs at Eton; in fact I am surprised that Sir James Crichton-Browne, whose words were quoted in this particular article, should in his capacity as “medical man” have given any publicity to a regrettable incident which has only once occurred and is not likely to occur again.

I dispute his statement that “the baleful licence given to the older boys to inflict physical pain on boys a little younger or weaker than themselves is always apt to degenerate into gross cruelty.” As I have already said, the incident referred to was unique (nothing like it, to my knowledge, having ever happened before), and was brought about by the dearth of responsible people at the top of the house. The result was that irresponsible boys suddenly found themselves in a position of authority which they did not know how to fill. But this so very seldom happens that one may rightly conclude it to be the exception, proving that, as a rule, the Eton system of corporal punishment is an excellent one.

ETONIAN.
Eton College, Windsor.