12 JANUARY 1940, Page 18

SIR,—As an old reader of The Spectator, I would like

to voice a strong protest about the depressing article, ".The Rest of Our Lives," which appears on page 4 of your issue of January 5th, 1940. At a time like the present, when optimism should be the watchword, the writer of this article evidently projects his own depressed psychological outlook into print.

In the trenches during the war 1914-1918 buoyant cheer- fulness everywhere prevailed. We all realise what we are up against in this war, and no amount of gloomy articles, which have been abundant in your periodical lately, will help to deepen this realisation.

On the contrary, by producing' a depressed mental outlook they tend to mitigate against our cause.

However, one can console oneself with the knowledge that such articles are only the product of one man's brain.—Yours

[Since the article in question, and this letter, were written the Prime Minister has thought it well to impress on the nation the magnitude of the task that faces it.—En., The Spectator.]