18 FEBRUARY 1938, Page 20

• - [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] '

Sia,—As an "Alien-" resident in London I am glad to see that Miss Lindt's article- is receiving so much attention. Many foreigners whom I meet in London share her views. ,

But there is another aspect of the matter which is worth notice. To • most foreigners England -as a- whole is still "the unknown island," for them London is England. Those who have-visited the Provinces, the North, for instance, are usually agreed that they have been well received. There they find people less reserved and ready to take a lively interest in strangers. It is the Londoner who disappoints ; as it is naturally in the Capital that we expect to find most-easily the Englishman at his best, which, however, is difficult. The Londoner works in London but he does not live there. Per- haps England might be better served by ten towns of a million inhabitants than by this one- which is too large.

I need not labour the point, for example, that the true "café," considered as a social meeting place, is not to be found in London at all. What chance has the Londoner, who is the " typical " Englishman to many foreigners, to lose that " isolation " of which Mr. Hussain complains. His idea of a pleasant evening seems to be a quiet game of bridge, not gossip with all and sundry over mugs of beer.—I • am, Sir, yours faithfully,