Begging the question

Sir, – The headline above your editorial of May 10th on air defence was “Secret memo begs questions”.

For sure the memo raises or prompts questions but I doubt it begs those questions, at least not in the original meaning of the phrase.

To beg a question is to assume in your argument the truth of the proposition you are trying to prove. In other words it is a circular argument, such as: “I am always right therefore you are wrong.”

I do realise that in current usage to “beg a question” is often intended to mean no more than to raise or prompt a question. What a pity to lose the elegant subtlety of the original meaning. – Yours, etc,