The British Gazette | Full Set of 8 Issues Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. (Complete Set of Eight Newspapers | Wednesday May 5th 1926 To Thursday, May 13th 1926 Inclusive)
Churchill, Winston S. (Editor and Contributor)
(Book #ID 114932)
Published by His Majesty's Stationary Office | from The Daily Telegraph Building, London, 1926. 1926.
First edition of the complete run of 8 issues of The British Gazette, edited by Winston Churchill to present the government's case during the 1926 General Strike, published from 5-13 May 1926 over 8 issues. Although no features or articles are signed by Churchill, at least one article in each of the issues can confidently be ascribed to him. "During the evening of 2nd May, the day before the strike was due to start, several newspapers including the Daily Mail and Daily Express were either suppressed or censored by the machine-minders. Aware of the dangers of a muzzled Press, Stanley Baldwin, then prime minister, summoned Churchill to organise an emergency newspaper. As would be expected, he rose to the challenge with drive and imagination, laying down his guidelines in advance. 'The essential thing is that we should produce a really powerful readable broadsheet not merely to contain news but in order to relieve the minds of the people. I do not contemplate violent partisanship, but fair, strong encouragement to the great mass of loyal people. it should have a leading article, not violent partisan, but agreeable to the great majority of the people of our side: constitutional, the hope for peace, Parliament maintains authority in the country, injury to trade and reputation of the country'" (Woods, pp. 161). Churchill took over the Morning Post building. The unions pulled out their men, but Churchill called Lord Beaverbrook, who sent the night superintendent of the Daily Express to single-handedly set the type and produce the first issue. Though consisting of only one leaf printed on both sides, it sold 232,000 copies, and daily sales figures reached over 2 million by the final issue. "In spite of pious preliminary statements, Churchill ran The British Gazette not merely as a medium for Government announcements and propaganda, but also as an avowedly strike-breaking weapon, to such an extent that in the subsequent Parliamentary debate, he was bitterly attacked by Labour MPs. His retort is one of his best-known; 'I utterly decline to be impartial as between the Fire Brigade and the fire'" (ibid., p. 162). Member of the P.B.F.A.
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