LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
[In view of the paper shortage it is essential that letters on these pages should be brief. We are anxious not to reduce the number of letters, but unless they are shorter they must be fewer. Writers are urged to study the art of compression.—Ed., " The Spectator "I A EUROPE REBORN SIn,—Professor Stanislaw Kot, a member of the Polish Government, recently gave a little party to celebrate the friendly relations which are being established between Polish scientists and scholars, now our guests, and their British colleagues. At this party Dr. K. Wodzicki, Professor of Agriculture at Warsaw, made a short speech which de- serves a wider audience, for it expresses with delicacy and generosity what we should be proud to believe may be the result of our present collaboration with oor gallant allies. He allows me to quote from it in his own words:
" Perhaps some of you will wonder why the cause of preserving the handful of Polish men of science and learning has grown to such an important question for us. I will try to give in a few words a reply to this. First of all because the preservation of a nucleus of Polish scientists and intellectual workers is of the utmost importance to the future of my country and people, as this class of our population has suffered the greatest number of victims from the hands of German and Russian barbarians.
" But there is also another reason. This war, which was called in the beginning a war of technique, is in reality a war of ideas. The Continent of Europe, which in its great majority hates the Nazi doc- trine and fears the doctrine of Bolshevism, looks full of hope to the small island which is the last bastion of freedom in Europe. The Continent looks forward not only to the victory of the British Empire, but also to the birth of a new world order which can be brought about only by the English-speaking nations. Winston Churchill said recently that we are fighting for our very lives: it is true, but even now in the midst of this formidable struggle for our lives we must already think about the future and prepare for the future.
" The future means a new world, a better world To this task all of us must contribute and must collaborate. For this purpose we must be inoculated with the British conception of the world, which is the only one which can bring a better future. All the Polish men who are working at present, and will I hope in the near future work, together with the British people are given an opportunity to learn the British conception of the world and they will act later as ambas- sadors of good will amongst our people. To be very short: this conception according to Andre Maurois has three very apparent characteristics: the Bible, free trade and democracy. Which means a profound religious feeling, freedom in national economy, and freedom of political thought with a mutual respect of convictions as long as they do not cause annoyance to the community. These are the foundations of the mightiness of the British Empire, and, may I hope, they will also become the foundations for the reborn Europe
and the world."—Yours faithfully, A. V. HILL. House of Commons.
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