12 NOVEMBER 1994, Page 33

Sir: When the maddening yet lovable William Cash first telephoned

me (`the one Brit of any level of executive significance in all the major studios, and he is Jewish'), I became really quite stroppy. He wanted to write 'a really rather important and contro- versial story for The Spectator about Jews and Hollywood and Vanity Fair and the `New Establishment' and how sinister it all was and could I help him, please?

`Help you?' I said. 'Are you completely mad?' Haven't we all had enough of con- spiracy theories involving Jewish economic domination of the universe?'

`Calm down, Barry,' spluttered the intrepid journalist, 'it's not going to be about that. Um, not at all, really.'

`So what else can it be about, eh? If you think there is something sinister about the fact that the silly piece in silly Vanity Fair omitted to mention that half the people on its silly New Establishment list were Jews, then surely you are committing yourself to the idea that there is some evil conspiracy among Jews in the media and Jews in Hol- lywood and Jews everywhere else to exclude non-Jews from absolutely every- thing and that they will eventually march down Threadneedle Street and take over the City of London from old Etonians like you? Bugger off, and write your silly con- spiracy story without my help.' Well, William was right, I need not have worried about conspiracy theories. His piece was about nothing at all. Nothing! In fact, I'd like to offer a copy of Mein Kampf to anyone who can understand the point he

LETTERS

is trying to make, with all this huffing and puffing about barmitzvahs and riding lessons and white socks. I certainly cannot, and some of my best friends are old Etoni- ans.

Barry Isaacson

2265 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles, California, USA