22 JANUARY 1937, Page 20

GUNS OR BUTTER ?

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Before we sit back and, in a state of mind bordering on self-complacency, criticise freely the Germans' choice of guns instead of butter, let us ask ourselves a similar question—on which of the two—guns or distressed areas—is our own money being spent ? The cold fact is that the answer is the same in this country as in Germany—i.e., guns !—I am, &c., N. SINCLAIR REID. 17 Whitehall Road, Harrow, Middlesex.

[The cold fact is that we were reducing our armaments till we were compelled to reverse the process by Germany-'s immense expansion of her armament programme.—ED. The Spectator.]