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PS. I have no copy of this. JSLS
Sunday 21 Jan, 1906
22, South Street, Park Lane, W.
My dear Buchan,
Townsend has practically resigned, on a pension, that is he will only in future write one leader a week & no notes.
I want to make you the following offer to join me as Second Assistant Editor with Graves. The salary would be £800 a year but it would be a condition that you leave the Bar & do your work at the Spectator Office using Townsend's room which would become your room except on
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Tuesday's when I should arrange for you to have Church's room. You would of course be free to do any writing of magazine articles & books but not to write for any newspapers but the Spectator. As to work I should want you as is my agreement with Graves to do whatever was necessary in holiday times & at crises to bring out the paper but at our ordinary times (ie when we were all at work) I should want one review one leader
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& one subleader, seven notes and general editorial help in the way of writing letters seeing people helping Graves with the office letters proofs &c &c. In holiday times I should want two leaders instead of a leader & subleader & often nine notes. I should also when Graves (& my brother) was away want the magazines. I should sometimes not want a subleader in ordinary times. In other words (familiar tag!!) the maximum writing would be a review & two leaders (or leader & subleader) a week & nine notes plus magazines possibly twice or at most three times a year
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and such editorial writing as was necessary. This is rather less than I did for Townsend & Hutton when I was third man because I often did 13 notes a week. I shall quite understand if you think it would not be worth your while to give up the Bar where I expect you have a very brilliant future. Also you must consider the possibility of the political future. I am prepared to wreck all my political & material prospects to resist Protection but I dont expect you to do so & you may not care for the prospects of such a struggle.
If you do not wish to come over bag & baggage to the Spectator I shall make other arrangements but even then there would be a certain amount of work on the Spectator for you. I could not of course pay a retainer but I think you might count on £150 a year of work.
We ought to say a year's notice on either side if you come on as Second Assistant Editor.
Take a week or two if you like to think it over.
Ever yours
J St Loe Strachey
