Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Obituary: Lord Devlin

Patrick Cosgrave
Wednesday 12 August 1992 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

I SHOULD like to add a few sentences to James Morton's splendid obituary of Lord Devlin (11 August), writes Patrick Cosgrave. Naturally, Mr Morton concentrated on Devlin's legal career, but he also mentions Devlin's book on Woodrow Wilson, Too Proud to Fight.

The title comes from a speech by Wilson, in which the President of the United States declined to enter the First World War on the side of the United Kingdom and France. Devlin's book is - apart from being a superb panorama of the times - the best analysis of a legal and philosophical mind at work on the problems on international relations. Wilson was a natural pacifist; but he went to war in the end. Devlin's book, more acutely than any other, tells us why.

It should be required reading for our politicians today.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in