17 MAY 1975, Page 3

Matter of fact

Sir: You should be aware of two serious errors of fact which appear in Air Vicemarshal Bennett's advertisement 'Operation Out' (May 3 and 10). In the section, Defence, the statement. is made, "The worth of ate EEC as a defence block can be seen by the fact that France is not even a member of NATO," This misstatement makes the assumption that the EEC is indeed a defence block. It is not.

The 'fact' that France is not a member of NATO simply isn't true. France, a founder member some twenty-five years ago, always has been and still is in NATO. Her commitments under the treaty ,particularly that under article 4, the only article in which a specific commitment is laid upon the signatories, are no less than they were when, whilst remaining in NATO, France withdrew from the integrated military structure.

G. H. M. Richey Briar Cottage, Winterbourne Dauntsey, Salisbury, Wilts