WOULD YOU BELIEVE THE DAILY MAIL…by Donal Kennedy

Would you believe the Daily Mail supported Fascists, Once? Twice? Many, many times?

And, on 8 January 1934 that it had a frontpage headline “HURRAH FOR THE BLACKSHIRTS” …?

And that its owner Lord Rothermere one week later described the British Union of Facists as “a well organised part of the Right ready to take over responsibility for social affairs with the same directness of purpose and energy of method as Hitler and Mussolini displayed.” …..?

Or that, the Daily Mail got support from Mussolini himself, who sent its Chief Correspondent, G.Ward Price, in his own (Il Duce’s) hand congratulations on his being made a director of the paper in November 1926 -“My dear Price, I am glad you have become a Director of The Daily Mail and I am sure your very popular and widely circulated newspaper will continue to be a sincere friend of fascist Italy. With best wishes and greetings. Mussolini”.

Whilst still at the Daily Mail Ward Price published a memoir entitled “I Know These Dictators” which was reprinted in August 1938. He described Mussolini as “a successful man of the world who is expert at his job and enjoys doing it” and recalled Hitler’s “human, pleasant personality.”

Lord Rothermere visited Hitler a number of times and when Germany invaded Czechoslocakia sent the Fuhrer a telegram – “MY DEAR FUHRER EVERYONE IN ENGLAND IS PROFOUNDLY MOVED BY THE BLOODLESS SOLUTION OF THE CZECHOSLOVAKIAN PROBLEM STOP PEOPLE NOT SO MUCH CONCERNED WITH TERRITORIAL READJUSTMENT AS WITH DREAD OF ANOTHER WAR WITH ITS ACCOMPANYING BLOODBTH STOP FREDERICK THE GREAT A GREAT POPULAR FIGURE IN ENGLAND MAY NOT ADOLF THE GREAT BECOME AN EQUALLY POPULAR FIGURE STOP I SALUTE YOUR EXCELLENCY’S STAR WHICH RISES HIGHER AND HIGHER.”
I haven’t made any of this up but copied it fom a a book by Stephen Lowe & Alan Mcarthur subtitled “The Encylopedia of Modern Life.” Its
main title is a bit ruder.

Perhaps some scholar will check their story and correct it. I wouldn’t want anyone to believe lies ABOUT The Daily Mail and its proprietor
in the 1930s.

For myself I would not believe ANYTHING I could read IN that paper today unless it was confirmed by at least six reliable witnesses.
dmkennedy