21 JUNE 1957, Page 15

BETJEM ANISM

SIR,—May I add a further word on this subject, as I happen to be in Rome where the noise and amount of traffic seem to me to put London to shame? At the moment, however, 1 have not heard that the Pantheon is to be pulled down, nor any of the magnificent bridges that span the Tiber. But who knows?—if the 'non-intellectuals' are given a free rein what might happen in the Eternal City? It is true I do not lie awake at nights wondering how the poor (who are they'?) are able to get to work, but I do not see how they are all going to starve because we do not build them bigger and better bridges. All 1 maintain is that it seems to me a tragedy that beauty must give way to practicality and this has been sharply brought home to me while in Rome, where incidentally despife its rattling and excellent tram services and the vile scooters there are no traffic hold-ups.—Yours faith- fully,

HERBERT VAN THAL Hotel Universo, Via D'Azeglio, Rome