Utterly Absurd

Sia.My controversy with Mr Szamuely is about Ghana today, not about what I wrote about the USSR in the 1930s. However, by all means let readers look up library copies of Soviet Democracy and Russia Without Illusions and see what I really wrote. rather than relying on two sentences torn from their context by Mr Szamuely. I think they will find that. among most writers on the USSR in the 1930s, I have least to be ashamed of. or to wish to withdraw. And let them also read Consciencism and judge for themselves. They will then note my error. which Mr Szamuely missed. of giving the book seven chapters instead of five!

May I now take up his relevant points?

(I) I did not quote him as saying that 'no one

knew what Nkruntah was,' I wrote IsIkrumaism: The misprint was not mine.

(2) Most of my letter was to explain Nkrumah's theory. Mr Szamuely simply continues the vitupera- tion of his article with his `non-theory,' no body of doctrine,' etc. . . . Surely to work for an Africa not producing for 'the wealth and welfare of foreign shareholders' is a doctrine, even if a non-Szamuely- isfic one.

(3) I have never said Nkrumah was 'building socialism.' That is the sort of potted political short- hand of which I am not guilty. I said he envisaged a 'peaceful evolution' that 'can by-pass capitalism and lead to socialism.'

(4) Mr Szamuely's original reference to Con- sciencism suggested that it merely consisted in 'inane

mathematical formulae.' In fact, it consists of four chapters of argument. As to the formulae, Mr Szamuely quotes from the last sentence of the last

chapter. I quote from the first sentence: 'The course of positive action can be mapped out in set theoretic terms.' (My emphasis.) (5) Mr Szamuely has apparently waded through files of my one hundred articles in the Accra Even-

ing News to find the sentence that 'party cadres should be vigilant and close their ranks against sub- versive elements.' I can find no such article in my own files, but as the Evening News had two editions this may simply have escaped me. Anyway, if my alleged advice had been effectively taken, there would have been no coup!

(6) Mr Szamuely says that my activity in Ghana included 'persuading Nkrumah to set up a censor- ship system for screening the country's libraries.'

My views on libraries were printed in the Evening News (Accra) of July 30, 1965. I pointed out that book stocks were old, 'they resembled British pro- vincial libraries about fifty years ago or more,' and I suggested that in a former colony now independent

and moving towards socialism many new books were required. I suggested that some books (e.g., Rules of the Nazi Party) were `so subversive of socialism

and anti-imperialism that they should be excluded with the same determination that imperialism ex- cluded books that were subversive of imperialism' If this 'persuaded' Nkrumah. I don't know, but by the time of the coup the libraries remained un- changed.

PAT SLOAN

40 Melody Road. Biggin Hill, Kent