1 JANUARY 1972, Page 39

Sir: I trust Mr Christopher Leach will forgive me for

finding qualities artistic rather than commercial in his letter (December 4), since The Spectator, unlike children's magazines, does not issue its correspondents with portions of smacke roa.

His letter possesses these qualities since, in my opinion, it was not written by Mr Leach at all, but by Auberon Waugh. Only Mr Waugh could provide us with such a vivid characterisation of a brash, middle-aged author, whose RollsRoyce has presumably been taken by the h.p. company, and who needs only one issue to hang himself in; irretrievably.

David Vincent 173 Old Shoreham Road, Hove, Sussex.