16 JUNE 1967, Page 26

King of Patagonia

Sir: Mr David Howell (9 June) advances a strange doctrine. Apparently it is all right for President de Gaulle to visit Moscow, South America, Montreal, or wherever, and still be regarded as a good Euro- pean. But if the British Prime Minister pays a brief visit to Washington (arranged, incidentally, before the Middle East crisis flared up) he demolishes our credibility as a potential member of the EEC.

My own support for British membership of the Community is at least as long-standing as Mr Howell's, in whose company I recall visiting Brussels and Luxembourg some years ago. But if the cost of this membership really is, as he suggests, that we should cut ourselyes off from consultations with friends and allies in other parts of the world, it is far too high a price to pay.