Sir: As a founder-member of the Great Britain-USSR Association I
have much sympathy with the views of Mr Simon Richards in his letter of 30 January.
For a number of years, as a member of the Council, I have watched with sorrow, but little surprise, the steady erosion of the postion of the Association vis-a-vis the Rus- sians. The admirable original intention of the founders — to establish a politically respectable medium for cultural inter- change — has demonstrably failed in face of the brilliant Russian (not just Soviet) ability to undermine, weaken and disarm. Pace my friend John Roberts, experience with the British Naval Mission to the Soviet Union during the last war has shown me how impossible it is to establish a Western- style relationship with these people except from a position of strength such as the Foreign Office seems both unable and un- willing to establish. As regards the par- ticipation of 'distinguished people who have received honours from Her Majesty', my resignation from the Association was a direct consequence of the appointment of Sir Harold Wilson to be its president.
4 lithony Courtney
Mulberry House, Urchfont, Devizes, Wiltshire
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