16 JUNE 1967, Page 26

Sir: Mr Anwar El-Sadat, the Speaker of the VAR Parliament,

is also a writer of considerable power. His Revolt on the Nile (Wingate, 1957) remains a source book for students of the Egyptian Revolu- tion. Since 1957 he has frequently receive dme as a friend in his respectable, middle class home. As an Englishman who wishes to regain Arab respect for this country, as a writer and as a friend of Mr Sadat, I must vehemently protest at your publica- tion of the slur on his moral character in your last issue. Scurrilous and unsubstantiated, it also seems trivially irrelevant in this time of crisis.

The Arab Observer is an Egyptian Government newspaper, run by the Ministry of Culture, for whom Mr Powell was recruited as an 'adviser.' In his article Mr Powell made reference neither to the quality of Mr Anwar el-Sadat's writing, nor to the nature of his home.—Editor, SPECTATOR.