22 NOVEMBER 1935, Page 74

POISONED PENS

[To the Editor of Tuts SPECTATOR.] Si IL— If the Words of your article of last week) " Writers and publishers of books which hold up orthodox marriage to mild derision, and view extra-marital adventures with . complacency, and condone if they do .not advocate some of the more repellent forms of moral laxity, deserve general reprobation," anyone who does not think our. marriage law above criticism and see eye to eye with the writer as to what is " repellent " and " immoral " must hold his peace. Apparently existing institutions can neither be defended by reasonable argument nor improved by rational criticism ! That a sense of responsibility is proper both as regards manner and occasion of presentation most writers on sexual subjects would agree, but that the advoeates of status quo should be allowed to declare certain subjects of their own choosing as sacrosanct from the influence of knowledge and reason is another story.-- 1 am, Sir, yours faithfully,

:33 Ulysses Road, London, N.W. G. ALEC CRAIG.