Who's the authentic voice?
But if Lady Cromer is to be forgiven for her dotty gushings, what are we to make of our long-serving and most experienced man in Paris, Mr Christopher Soames? He is not at all dotty and he does not usually gush. He has been writing to Le Figaro in an attempt, presumably, to persuade the French that our intentions towards Europe are genuine. As Ambassador he represents the British government. This very ardent marketeer in no wise represents the British people; and it is to be hoped that the French realise this and that Mr Enoch Powell, wheij, he was in France spoke to the French with a much more authentic voice if less fluently, on the Common Market than Mr Soames could ever do.
This said, it is mildly intriguing to note what Mr Soames tells the French: 'Don't forget, he wrote in Le Figaro, 'it is not just a question of the amount we pay to the com- mon budget. From the first day, we shall also be buying more and more of our food from you at very much higher prices than we now pay, thus enabling your farmers to realise the promise of expansion by virtue of their 'They Want to get with it—it's the 'Forties now!' preferential access to the biggest food im- porting market in the world.'
It would be more to the point if Mr Soames were to tell that to the National Farmers' Union and to New Zealand and Australia.
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