SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
J. W. M. THOMPSON.
Biafra has been written off prematurely before now but the latest news does suggest that the Federal forces may soon be in nominal control of the whole territory. The word 'nominal' is important, because if Biafra collapses as a separate state there is every likelihood that a protracted and bloody guerrilla resistance will develop. Lagos must expect this: and the Bia- frans, I'm told, expect in return a regime of extreme severity when the Federal forces find themselves grappling with guerrillas in country highly favourable to resistance. In such disastrous days it's not surprising that some Ibo voices should be raised to cry enough. But the Biafrans are incensed by the lavish attention given in London this week to 'Chief' S. 0. N. Okafor's appeal for Biafran sur- render. They regard his letter in Saturday's Times as a propagandist shocker; and assert, among other things, that he is not a 'Chief,' that he was not a member of the consultative as- sembly, that he did not escape from Biafra 'a few weeks ago' but has been living in Lagos for months, that it's grotesque to assert (as he did) that Biafran lies had hidden the loss of Port Harcourt and Enugu from the people, and much more. But in the end propaganda victories for either siatwotet amount to much in anyone's eyes, compared All- 'Vie stupefying horrors now occurring in the last days a:Biafra.
Exit Sir William
Sir William Haley's sudden resignation as editor-in-chief of the Encyclopaedia Britqnnica appears ominous. His appointment two years ago looked like a serious attempt to elevate the Britannica's scholarly reputation to its old heights. His departure, it is now said, follows friction with people determined to brighten up the encyclopaedia with 'new publishing con- cepts.' So Sir William's dream of presiding over a shining new monument to modern learning seems to have faded rather quickly. The Britan- nica is, of course, a big American business deal- ing in millions of dollars, a fact which can't have helped Sir William. I see one leading figure in the row is that remarkable American mil- lionaire, William Benton, a former advertising man who was responsible for linking the ency- clopaedia with the University of Chicago in 1943 (while retaining a large interest for him- self). He is now publisher and chairman and very rich indeed. A few years ago the Wisdom Society of Beverly Hills, California, awarded Mr Benton the 'Wisdom Award for Significant Contributions to Knowledge and Distinguished Service to Mankind.' The citation hailed him as 'one of the best minds of our age . . . a pro- /pond thinker of great courage . . . one of the most extraordinary men of our times.' Etc etc. I feel sorry.for Sir William Haley if he clashed with this Titan, even if Oliver Edwards was on hand to support Mm. For my part I shall gisly loyal to my mellow Eleventh Edition, publishes in 1911 under the aegis of the University of Cambridge; a noble work. Sir William bought his Elevenfh,Edition in 1921 and took it to Chicago in 1967 to filVire him. I bought mine ten years ago for three pounds; the dealer had priced it at seven but knocked off four when I said I didn't want the special bookcase. So I carried off thirty-five volumes (including the supplementaries), all in mint condition, for the price of a dinner. I don't often get such value for money, alas.
Heroes I fear we have entered another of those phases during which domestic political events are, as it were, observed through a powerful magnify- ing glass. This practice makes life interesting for journalists and politicians, but it can be hallu- cinative. In the interests of perspective, I have been polishing up my theory of the nature of political leadership, as a change from reading thrilling accounts of conflict and split. As I see it, in this country we tend to prefer as prime minister a politician who conforms to a known (even if unusual) pattern : and my analysis sug- gests that the favoured patterns are generally derived from the basic literature of the country, i.e. the classics of childhood.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home, obviously, came to the office by being the happy reincarnation of Harry Wharton, the unintellectual decent fellow of Greyfriars school. Mr Macmillan was a natural choice for the generations which had admired the urbane, mannered resourcefulness of P. G. Wodehouse's rare creation, Psmith. Churchill was clearly:the great Stalky himself, matured and providentially returned from the North West Frontier to enter politics. There is even, I seem to remember, an alert and terse I was pondering the immense anifite somewhere in Beatrix Potter's Writings who prepared ife wAy for Lord Attlee. And Mr Wilson? The truth aboui Earn cslillc.. zeal". l -41* z 4ch to me when he has embraced his latest hobby, trade unrod. reform. Not long ago it was the Common. Mar- ket that filled his waking hours. Or it was the incomes policy; or Lords reform.. All taken; up and dropped, all in turn regarded as 'the real_ thing, the only genuine occupation for a life, time.' That quotation will be evocative to all who once read The Wind in the Willows. Mr Toad, of Toad Hall, is alive. and well and living in Downing Street.
Consumer's choice
I turned on my radio on Sunday to hear The Critics for the last time. Probably many other occasional listeners did the same, so at least they went out to an audience of respectable size. As usual I found myself alternately irritated and approving, a response which renewed my regret that this useful little programme has been axed. I wanted to applaud when Bryan Robertson complained rebelliously of the strong philistine influence apparent within the sac at present. I disagreed strongly when T. C. Worstey de- nounced the idea of the Third Programme as 'absolutely monstrous.' The notion that the Third represents `cultural apartheid' is an old one and is of course, being trotted out re- peatedly now that radio is looking for econo- mies. But no one ever explains why the classifi- cation of radio programmes by their general character is wicked when similar treatment of their printed equivalents is universally accept- able. No one protests because the.- financial Times and the Daily Mirror differ markedly in gotent and in- approach. People are tree to chofts, and it really is freedom as far as broad- casting is concerned. It doesn't cost anything to switch over' from Radio One to Radio Three.
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