5 JUNE 1936, Page 20

PACIFICISM AND REARMAMENT

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sin,—Mr. Leyton Richards' able letter seems to me to be based on the assumption that our Government has the power of choosing between (1) general reduction of armaments by . international agreement and (2) rearmament. If Mr. Richards can produce any evidence that the first course is really practicable I am sure that the great majority of the people would support it, and I am. also sure that our Government would welcome it. But if the choice does not exist then Mr. Richards would appear to advocate unilateral disarmament, which is equivalent to • the abandonment of the British Commonwealth of Nations to any ambitious aggressor. This policy has only to be stated plainly to secure its rejection.—Yours, &c., CHAS. WRIGHT. Sutton.