. [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Your journal, in
company with a majority of our Liberal papers, seems to me to be taking a rather cynical and oppor- tunist line on the present international crisis.
In your leader of March 4th you very tersely stated that you were of the opinion that Mr. Eden was in the right when he resigned. You, however, cannot be very certain on that point for you go on to suggest that Mr. Chamberlain may be right after all, and you appeal for a " cessation of irresponsible sniping " of the Government " by their fellow-countrymen." You say that it is imperative that criticism be constructive and complain that the Labour Party have been attempting to exploit Mr. Eden's resignation for party advantage.
I have always been an admirer of The Spectator but I am afraid you have never understood the ideals and aims of the Labour Party. You have succumbed to the Tory propaganda in so far as you seem to believe that the House of Commons should be a Council of State, and that the present Government is really a National Government.
Socialists of course do not, and never have accepted that thesis. We do not believe in the continuity of foreign policy, the opposition in our opinion is divided from the Government on a matter of principle, its duty is to oppose. The Cabinet's retreat from the League has been a gross betrayal of a principle. (Many of us have felt all along that it was impossible for a Capitalist, Imperialist and Nationalist party like the Tory Party to have any lasting belief in an international system. Unfortunately for the country the electors thought otherwise, there " was no proof of the pudding but in the eating of it.")
The Prime Minister's policy is the wrong policy; even if he was successful in negotiating a treaty with Italy or Germany it could only be at the expense of the smaller States of the world.
In charging the opposition with using opportunist tactics you are laying yourself open to the same charge, for to many of us your criticism of the Labour Party is simply an effort to obscure the real issues.—I am, yours sincerely,
[So far from suggesting that Mr. Chamberlain might be right after all, we wrote " Nothing has happened to cause those who, like ourselves, thought Mr. Eden right and Mr. Chamberlain wrong to change their views." That seems a fairly unambiguous statement.—ED. The Spectator.]
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