WHAT THE SOLDIER THINKS
Snt,—The correspondence in your columns ensuing on my article in The Spectator has been as depressing to me as my original article was, apparently, depressing to you. Numerous correspondents and contri- butors—high-bred and bad-tempered; cultured and good-mannered; " railitatis " and, condescending; clerical and idiotic; such are a few— a their blind haste to demolish my contentions never paused to consider .whether perhaps I could possibly be right. Mr. Harold Nicolson said I was probably cold and undisturbed by mortar-fire; my Lord Winster thought I was an unintelligent child (I shall spare telling you what I think of his Lordship) ; " Miles juvenis," who sneers witheringly at anony- mous writers without apparently knowing the army rule on the subject or considering his own nom-de-guer.re, thought I "felt," but didn't " think "; " Padre BLA," writing with typical Christian tolerance, thought I was a henchman of Dr. Goebbels. Let me assure these gentlemen they are wrong. I wrote what I wrote, a "warm," "intelligent," "thinking," " patriotic" Englishman, because in my opinion it represents the truth. It Is depressing that in England there still exists this determination to ran away from any point of view which may be unpleasant and disturb- ag in its implications. But it is a fact that there are many uncomfortable (-pinions held these days which cannot be altered by the easy expedient of ladling out a dose of syrup of figs, much as it would obviously suit many of your writers to hand out the whole bottle.
There may be many, a great many, in the army who disagree with me. But I can assure you, Sir, that there are many, a great many, who agree with me. And no matter how many writers from one side of the fence contribute articles to The Spectator, it will not in any way miracu- lously reduce the reality of the crowd on the other side. I suggest it would be well to recognise their presence—and, if you think it desirable— see how best they can be persuaded to climb over.—! am, Sir, yours
faithfully, CAPTAIN B.L.A.
SIR,—Referring to the correspondence which has ensued on the letter received from a captain in the B.L.A., on the views held by soldiers, we think perhaps our experience may be of interest. We have kept in touch with all our employees who have joined the Forces, and, with practically no exception, every letter we receive from them states that the one thing to which they look forward is to return to their old firm and work.—
Sheffield, 8. THOS. J. JAMESON, Managing Director.
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