American interests
Sir: Congratulations! You have expressed pungently and succinctly what millions of Britons think (Leading article, 10 August). In the Seventies, I attended a debate at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, the Swedish equivalent of Chatham House, on relations between Europe and the Unit- ed States. Sweden was at that time going through an unfortunate anti-American phase, largely sparked off by Vietnam. I opened my remarks as follows:
'Before we begin our discussion, I would like to make the following statement: if it were not for the United States of America, Sweden would be a province of either Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union and, inciden- tally, I would be dead. If that simple fact is accepted then we can have a good debate.' Not very diplomatic, perhaps (I was British Ambassador to Sweden), but it needed saying in 1975 and, it seems, just as much so in 1996. For Sweden you can sub- stitute Britain.
Sam Falle
Slattna, S 57033, Mariannelund, Sweden •
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