28 JUNE 1957, Page 17

SIR,—The Home Secretary, before Parliament rose, stated that authorisation to

tap telephone lines was only given by holders of his office where State

security was involved or to help the detection of serious crime. On p. 67 (Penguin edition) of Against the Law Mr. Peter Wildeblood states categorically that his line was being tapped in January, 1954, before his trial for homosexual offences at Win- chcster Assizes. If this is true it shows the elasticity with which the epithet is liable to be interpreted once the State prosecuting machine has begun its ven- detta and selected its victims.—Yours faithfully,