Is the British Government pursuing a sensible policy towards Iceland over the 'cod war '? Lady Tweedsmuir has been to Reykjavik, has talked with Icelandic ministers, has been...

At long last British industrial investment is increasing, and the growth of the nation's industrial capacity has exceeded all exPettations. During the long period of preparation...

Considering the courage and tenacity with which the state of Israel has survived the first twenty-five years of its modern life — it celebrates its birthday this week — it is...

Relish for the job Patrick Cosgrave The coincidence of a singularly depressing and substandard commons debate — Monday's, on prices — and the publication of Nigel Fisher's...

Trial in Zanzibar 'Julius Shariff' Ever since the assassination of Shaikh Abeid Karume, former ruler of Zanzibar and first vice-president of Tanzania, on April 7 last year,...

Test case at Totnes David Holbrook On Tuesday, the magistrates at Totnes re" jected an application by Mr Holbrook that they exercise their powers as the Licensing authority...

High visual illiteracy willia. Wilkins Mine hosts Forte, Joseph, Davis and their ilk, are at their tills; no doubt the sheets are at he laundry, the chefs at their...

The Israel I love Yigael Yadin Were I to define in a single word the Israel that I love, I should, without a moment's hesitation, choose the title which Herzl gave to his...

The Israel Youth Hostels Association Is offering a package tour with the freedom to choose your own itinerary. It includes return flight from London to Tel Aviv (leaving every...

A `shikseh' in Israel Lynne Reid Banks WHEN I first arrived in Israel, it was as the quintessential stranger and outsider. Not only Was I a gentile; I was right rather than...

The growing country Y. J. Taub Israel is a fast growing country, economicallY and demographically speaking. The 'growth school' that used to dominate the inter national merit...

Reluctant tourist Benny Green Although I went to Israel once, in 1965, I can't say I really wanted to see it. Not that I have anything against the place, but the truth is that...

Reginald Maudling on the complexity of lain Macleod Mr Nigel Fisher has written an excellent book. t It must have been a very difficult task to undertake, and sad one at that....

Martin A m is Tnansparent Things Vladimir Nabokov . (Weiclenfeld and Nicolson £1.75) The qualities for which Nabokov is most often praised seem to me to be among the least...

Maurice Buckmaster Watch For Me By Moonlight Evelyn Le Chene (Eyre Methuen £2.75) I tend to shun books that have the word ' moonlight ' as part of their title. I have read too...

Max Beloff Planning and Management in Universities: A Study of British Universities John Fielde and Geoffrey Lockwood. (Chatto and Wind as for Sussex University Press, £5...

Richard Eales The Sporting Scene: White Knights of Reykjavik George Steiner (Faber 0.40) The 1972 World Championship chess match between Robert Fischer and Boris Spassky...

Polybius F. W. Walbank (University of California Press £4.05) Polybius was the first man to unite political science and history. A Greek Romanophile of the second century BC,...

Bookbuyer Bookbuyer, not always the first to applaud publishers, who are often too busy applauding themselves, would like to make an exception for a little-known Leicester...

Christopher Hudson on something to smile about 0 Lucky Man! (' X ' Warner Rendezvous) is a funny, bawdy, exhilarating, slapdash piece of cinema which should be seen by...

Royal and ancient Evan Anthony Just when familiarity was threatening to breed contempt and/or indifference, what (or who) should turn up but the Lon-. don Transport Authority...

Sports and games Clive Gammon Now what's to be said about that Cup Final, straight out of the Hotspur or the Wizard? I knew that' Leeds had had it midway through the first...

Now that the stock market is to see a public launching of the successful bit of Rolls-Royce — the one that makes motor-cars — which is likely easily to realise all that lovely...

In our market town the other day I found myself passing the door of the auctioneer's establishment just as a nasty squall of rain blew up. The hubbub within was intriguing...

affairs. At one moment a surprising gem could send the bidding high up in the hundreds; the negt lot might be only a battered bit of implausible ' repro' scarcely worthy of any...

Sir: The attack you print on Mr Pyotr Yakir is more than usually cowardly, because he is in no position to sue You. The versions of events given by Mr David Levy — even if they...

Sir: The affair of the jailed journalist, While somewhat deplorable in itself, has aroused passions in the Labour Party on a scale rarely seen in recent Years, and has allowed...

Sir: Some years ago a Spectator correspondence emanated from a diary note about the Black Dog, a sobriquet for death. I meant at the time to give the following information: In...

Sir: John H. Chambers' criticism of the children's right movement (April 28) was as strong a vindication of the young rebels, and their charges, as.one could imagine. His...

Sir: Mr Tom Sutcliffe (May 5) states that homosexuals in the Church of England are most likely to be found in what he chooses to call the ' lace and smells' belt. If by this...

But for Mon Fils's handsome face, devotees of this column would even now be wallowing in wealth on some foreign shore, having sagaciously doubled up The Spectator-approved...

Sir: Their fellow journalists must be giggling with gusto at the expense of John Rowan Wilson and Pamela Vandyke Price whose respective columns in The Spectator of May 5...

Sir: Thank you for printing my letter (May 5). The last two words of it should read 'aborted foetuses' not ' aborted features.' Thomas W. Gadd Alexandra Court, Woodborough...

Sir: I should like to point out that even if Mr Humphries's criticisms (Apri1 . 28) of the Worcester-Malvern Centre are justified, the National Trust cannot be held responsible....

Sir: If the Republicans were guilty of bugging the Democrats, the Democrats had only themselves to blame. When I switch on my electric toaster my wife cannot hear the wireless....

Sir: 1 agree with much of what John Keegan has written in his fascinating review of Alex (April 21). But I do not think that Field-Marshal Earl Alexander would ever have put his...

From Dr Dennis Mollison Sir: I don't think A. L. Rowse should go in for soft pornography masquerad ing as literary history in your columns (I refer to the article on Mary...