The Conferences
Basil Wigoder, Frank Ware. Ivor R. M. Davies
Down the 'C' Stream C. D. Butler CND Pat Pottle, Donald Hughes Scientists for Export Benjamin Spear 'Daily Telegraph' Arnold Shone. W. H. Pridmore Thought for Food Trevenen Peters Dementia Americana Alfred L. Cotcher Edible Fungi M. Walter Teresa of Avila Hugh Ross • Williamson Lord Home on TV Graham Greene The Yoshida Memoirs Tamotsu Ogata
THE CONFERENCES SIR,—Two comments of Mr. Levin's minority report:
Firstly he bravely demolishes the myth that our delegates are mandated by their constituencies. He is quite right to do so, but the myth is one entirely of his own manufacture. We have never claimed this to be the position. On the contrary, we have always believed that to send representatives to an Assembly (as the Labour Party do) with prior instructions which way to vote makes the debates quite purposeless. It would be much easier in that event to conduct the whole proceedings by corre- spondence.
Secondly, he judges our Assembly, our Party, and our prospects by considering one amendment to one resolution—namely that on the de facto recognition of East Germany. Mr. Levin is opposed to this, but it is clear from your own leading article in the same issue that you yourself are prepared to consider this suggestion as a serious and helpful one. A judgment formed in this ludicrous way is precisely as valid as a judgment of mine on your last week's issue in which I confined myself to discussing one of the minor book reviews.
In fact we debated a large number of topics such as the United Nations, Agriculture and the Common Market, Education, Taxation, a Five- Year Plan for Britain and Unemployment, to name but a few. The other journalists present appear to have found them interesting and constructive. Mr. Levin does not even mention them. It may be, of course, that whilst they were taking place, Mr. Levin was occupied in some dark corner of the Hall struggling desperately—and by all appearances, without success—to adjust his expensive new braces.
BASIL WIGODER Chairman, Assembly Agenda Committee Liberal Party Organisation.
58 Victoria Street. SW I
[The Spectator leading article conceded that de facto recognition of East Germany might be used as a bargaining counter, to secure concessions, by the West. The Liberal Party Conference resolution offered recognition to the Communists on a plate. That the delegates appeared unable to appreciate this distinction worried Mr. Levin. It worries us.— Editor, Spectator.]
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