Letters
The British Radical 0. C. G. Haver Steel Curtain' David Murray Negligent Doctors Dr. Alastair A. McInnes Telling the World Norman Tiptaft Jews and Gentlemen Lady Haworth Split Infinitives Guy Ramsey
THE BRITISH RADICAL
Si,—Lord Altrincham is a master of, or slave to, generalisation. That no man, all over the world, is more competent than any other to vote into power a legislature and executive, is nonsense. If so, inmates of mental homes are as competent as Lord Altrincham. In Africa we must include illiterate millions, some virtually slaves, some enslavers. Why should it be assumed that our ballot box method, giving a fair degree of satisfaction with us after many centuries of trial and error in 'show of
hands', or open declaration, can be a cure- all for ills and needs all over the world? Why have 'independent' Pakistan, Burma, Siam, Sudan, Indonesia, given up the ballot box for military dictatorship? Because of disorder, corruption, impotence, and in Egypt and other Arab States there is no
election choice) any more than in Russia, its satellites, or China. In South America, Colonels smash the ballot boxes. In Iraq,
Kassem dictates as much as Nun i did.
Lord Altrincham also writes that only a minimum of fit African administrators are needed in our so-called colonies. Has he thought that in past centuries, nations of Europe produced very great numbers not merely of university graduates (who are two a penny) but eminent men of letters, philosophy, statesmanship, art, renowned to this day ? Could they prevent the Thirty Years' War, or innumerable other series of horrors and desolation?
This argument from a comparatively
few 'educated' Africans seems to me the most foolish imaginable. India is different. Gandhi, Nehru (and Mrs. Pandit) and very many others were or are far from being just BAs or what not. (It is even possible for a BA to be a BF—excuse my rudeness.) India has ancient political wisdom, much more valuable than ballot boxes with tigers and umbrellas to tell you where to put your slip I—Yours faithfully,
Brent Lodge, Berkhamsted
o. C. G. HAYTER
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