T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 386

To James Hanley S. S. SS Plymouth 3.8.33 Dear Hanley That was not my best promise, the Press, I fear. I wrote at once to my likely helpers and they have both turned me down. Whether was Evening News or Standard, with which two papers I have never dealt: though the Standard often has a cut at me. I'm a bad helper with the Press, for my relations with them have been uniformly uncomfortable, old Plumered'old who used to be the Daily Express and Geoffrey Dawson who is the Times. I'm always getting the Air Ministry to curse them on my behalf, or begging them, directly, to let me alone. So I had not much hope of aid this way out of them. You are you, and that rules out James Douglas as your editor. I've tried reviewing. It pays, it distracts the mind, it irritates. Finally it disgusts. All the same, it would be an incredible aide-mémoire-help for you, and I'd like to help you get it! I didn't reply so soon, hoping to have better news: but must tell you now that it seems unlikely. My regards and best wishes to Mrs. Hanley. Yours T E Shaw