5 MARCH 1983, Page 23

Counter claim

Sir: In his otherwise estimable Political commentary (26 February) Colin Welch states: 'It is surely absurd to treat Soviet Russia as Lord Sainsbury treated the Kaiser or Tsar ...'

Students of history will be anxious to hear what office Lord Sainsbury held, and who indeed he was. Was he perhaps an early version of the grocer-statesman?

Carlo Ardito

37 Manchester Street, London WI

[We apologise to Colin Welch, and to the many readers who have written, for this printing error. — Ed.]