Private eye
Sir: In his interesting review of Thomas Jones's Whitehall Diary (SPECTATOR. 21 June) Robert Skidelsky complains about the naughty habit of governments who see to it that official records tend to contain only what they would like the world to see, so that even after the prescribed period of thirty years, the public and even the his- torians will not necessarily know the truth. He then goes on to make what 1 suggest is a remarkable observation: 'Fortunately, Mr Crossman is reputed to keep a diary, for which posterity may have greater cause to thank him than for his achievements as a minister.' Now what could possibly make your reviewer imagine that the same minis- ters who would cheerfully indulge in a little spot of doctoring the records so that some unpleasant truth is blurred or buried, would behave any differently when recording their own roles for the same posterity? I suggest the idea is dubious; and is rendered almost hilarious by the unfortunate example he has chosen.
For. as SPECTATOR readers (but apparently not writers) may recall, Mr Crossman, far from being a witness to truth, is on record as having written that all those engaged in politics will tell lies when occasion demands. Can Mr Skidelsky expect us to believe that a politician with a philosophy that openly condones lying, will meticulously record in his diary matters which will redound to his discredit? It doesn't make sense. And in fairness I should add that the same surely applies to the rest of the political world and not merely to your reviewer's unfortunate example. Mr Crossman (if it is not a contra- diction to say so) merely told the truth. On this occasion.
I know I have referred to this matter be- fore (in the SPECTATOR and elsewhere) and am sure Mr Crossman must feel the reiter- ation to be unfair. But I do not think I need to apologise. After all, he may one day be stung into replying and tell us that he honestly meant something quite differ- ent. Meanwhile, I suggest historians should be as chary about diaries as they are about cabinet papers.
L. E. Weidherg 14 Templewood Avenue, London NW3
Previous page
