Sta,—In your issue dated November 11, Mr. Henry Fiddle refers
to a letter sent recently to the Dal& Express by twelve signatories. Since the meaning of the only words which he quotes from this letter does not support the deduction which he draws from them (namely that some or all of these signatories feel indig- nant enough about something to be thinking of leaving the country), it is not easy for some- one like myself who did not See the original letter to say whether his description of it as 'incoherent and emotional' is accurate or not. However, it is with the remarks which he bases on his deduction that all of your readers must surely be most seriously concerned. For after dismissing with a facetious patronage, Which sits his own achievements strangely, the Possibility that we 'may not have heard of more than one of them,' he suggests that it would be a matter of no importance if these signatories (whose names he gives us) were in fact to leave us. At least seven of' these names are of sufficient distinction to be known to any Englishman with even the most elementary knowledge of contemporary affairs; four of them at least must be familiar to millions through the medium of the film, music, the theatre, magazines and television. In these circumstances it is so obvious not only that the loss of their talents to this country would be of great importance, but also that any expres- sion of indignation on their part requires sonic intelligent consideration, that one is only left wondering just why Mr. Fairlie should appear so anxious to wish them away. Could it be Perhaps that he thinks there ought to be a little more room at the top? Has no one yet told him that there is always plenty of that? In any case the loss of any man of talent, indeed of any young man, to a country is always deplorable; I, and I'm sure many others of your readers, would care more than a fig were Mr. Fairlie to 'take a Constellation tomorrow to the Fiji Islands.' Even if he went all by himself.—Yours faithfully, Savile Club, 69 Brook Street, W1
ROBERT KEE
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