3 JANUARY 1970, Page 39

Report from the battlefront

Sir: My earlier protest (Letters. 29 November) at the wretched caricature of our Queen some time ago. was written in anger. But this protest at the dreadful caricature of General Odumegwu Oiukwu is violent. Has the SPECTATOR no idea of the sensitivity of our dark-skinned friends?

That caricature could. and probably will anger a great many Africans. Perhans few of them read the SPECTATOR, but the insult—for it is that (although it may not have been intended to insult). may raise ind'gnation which would be spread in conversations.

To insult in this way is gratuitous and very foolish The SPECTATOR is not like that.

At least give those who saw the caricature the opportunity to see that an Englishman is indignant. I have lived over thirty years amongst them, in the Congo. I have many personal friends who are African.

A. R. D. Simpson Aruwimi. I1 New Barnes Avenue. St Albans. Herts