Waugh's world
Sir: It would do no harm to Mr Auberon Waugh to peruse the statistics of the numbers of men and women who never live to enjoy the pension to which they have contributed throughout their working lives. If the proportion who do is increasing over the years it would be highly discreditable to say anything except 'good luck' to them. These, remember, are of the generation that fought and suffered through one or even two world wars and but for whom the Auberon Waughs would be living in a world theY might find even less endurable; whose work and thrift and sacrifice built up the capital in wealth and reputation on which Mr Waugh's generation are now living. As to the subject of their talk, whether on the theme of the weaknesses of their domestic pets or otherwise, I would not think that Mr Waugh was an expert. He should mind t.he dictum of Cardinal de Retz: `Ces coquets nous font parler et agir comme ils feralent eux-memes a notre place'. But it is good news that he is off to Thai' land. He will find a people them %vb.°, wrongly no doubt, equating age with wisdom and experience, hold their old peoPI,e
in high honour, maintain them with the,. own place and function in the structure 0'
the family and are horrified at the attitude of a people that can throw them to the care of a state bureaucracy. Oh yes, sir, Mr, Waugh has quite a lot to learn in Thailaria and from Thailand.
George Edinger 4 Raymond Buildings, Gray's Inn, London WC1
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