Again, the question of the Queen's financial resources, and the financial relationship between the monarch and Parliament, has generated a heated argument, which first arose...

Sir: As an American traveller of Chinese descent, I was most interested to read your weekly, but was most disconcerted to see a plea for euthanasia by Mr Beverley Nichols...

From Dr M. B. Ahehurst Sir: Mr Kitching's letter, published in your issue of February 15, is misleading in suggesting that the EEC Treaty requires the standardisation of laws in...

re the Common Market vote. If one can read What the papers say (and what the papers do not say) what with the huge cost to go in, and the trade deficit of nearly £700 millions...

15) in telling us how the Russians are involved in anti-Market propaganda is no doubt perpetuating the myth so well favoured by anti-Marketeers that the EEC is our only...

and the Director of Conservative research. It occurred to me that if every public library that took the New Statesman and/or New Society took The Spectator, your circulation...

Sir: As a primary school teacher of multi-racial children in a town where there is a high proportion of immigrants, both I and my pupils are well aware of racial differences....

Sir: I suppose we all have a role to play in the agonising game of education bashing. Perhaps we need a Rhodes 13oyson to be our wailing prophet. Of course, what he says...

Sir: As one who has used employment agencies on one or two occasions (merely because I was not around to do the job myself), I agree absolutely with the comments you make in...

Sir: Your condemnation of the new military rulers of Ethiopia (February 15) is thoroughly justified by recent events. At the same time, the circumstances which brought the...

From Dr J. P. T. Linhlater Sir: Whilst applauding the refreshing natural loyalty and enthusiasm of your correspondent, Mr W. Barry Stone, Editor of the Broadmoor Chronicle...

Sir: Mr Hughes-Onslow's mean little article about Albany (February 22) tells me very little about Kenneth Rose, but a great deal about Mr Hughes-Onslow. I was reminded of...

Sir: The political scene has changed so greatly since the 'thirties, when I was slightly involved in it, that I am impelled to write to you for information. In those days it was...

From Sir Andrew Gilchrist Sir: May I take up a point in Professor Donoghue's excellent review of two important Irish books? He says (February 15), with reference to de Valera,...

Sir: Was Brigid Brophy serious in her review of Night's Black Angels, when she said she could find nothing in the book to disclose the source of its title? 'Mr Pearsall and his...

Sir: Just as on any Wednesday morning, 1 was enchanted by Bookbuyer's column (February 8) and took particu lar interest in his apposite observations on the Booker Prize....

I do not know much about gunsmiths but I imagined that Purdeys — unquestionably the finest in the trade — and Holland and Holland have business systems and accounts departments...

Monday, February 17. Master Wilson is this day safely, returned from his travels to Muscovy, where he was received with the warm enthusiasm of the people, which — since the...

A member, whom I shall not name, Has earned himself a sort of fame, By making jibes, whenever he Can do so, at the Monarchy. I've really never understood How any grown-up...

Losing the working-class image Patrick Cosgrave This week sees the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Labour Party and we are, at the same time, on the verge of the first...

No Machiavelli she John O'Sullivan "Whoever becomes prince of a city or state, especially if the foundation of his power is feeble . . :will find the best means for holding...

Flight from reality Rhodes Boyson, MP The members of the Bullock Inquiry on Literacy obviously believe in reading practice since their Report has over 600 pages of relatively...

I believe in the true "Social Pact," And I think we should follow its aim; To its principles each should react, But in my case it's not quite the same; For I have such a curious...

Don't book don't fly David W. Wragg Air travel has always been one of those forms of transport for which the prudent booked in advance, the advantage being that once the...

Sovereign State John Papworth on 'small for stability The ironies of history are legion, and it is surely one more to the collection that at a time when the major capitalist...

The truth behind the fiction Benny Green On the day after the death of P. G. Wodehouse, I was practising one of my favourite hobbies, which is getting comfortably lost in the...

Larry Adler Oscar Levant said that he would like to have been present at the moment when Leopold Stokowski discovered his hands. I can't match that but I will be able to tell...

Bleeding economics David Hendrey The shortage of money in the National Health Service is adversely affecting its staff and patients alike. One group of patients deserving to...

Times for a change Bill Grundy 'The Times newspaper is, we suppose, entitled to the character it gives itself, of being the 'Leading Journal of Europe', and it is perhaps the...

Below the line Philip Kleinman Did you know that in two out of every five cases the weekly shopping is now done by husband and wife together? That one in five shopping...

The vivisection debate Bernard Dixon Big changes are under way in the 'vivisection' controversy. Rigid attitudes and intemperate repudiation are disappearing on both sides,...

The choice of death Martin Sullivan • I was profoundly moved by Beverley Nichols's article, 'My Right to Die' in the issue of this paper of February 8. I salute him with the...

In the 'thirties the great benefactor of classical studies in this country was Adolf Hitler, who gained for us the services of a group of distinguished scholars from the...

Brian Inglis Europe's Inner Demons Norman Cohn (Chatto, Heinemann for Sussex University Press £4.50) When in 1231 the Archbishop of Mainz appointed Conrad of Marburg to...

Douglas Houghton Victims of Science Richard D. Ryder (Davis Poynter 0.75) The picture of those wretched beagles being strapped to laboratory harness and forced to become...

Francis King The Autobiography of an Englishman 'Y' (Elek There are some minor, but significant, discrepancies between the blurb that accompanied the bound proof of this...

Farewell, fictions Peter Ackroyd Farewell, Fond Dreams Giles Gordon (Hutchinson £3.45) Beyond The Words edited by Giles Gordon (Hutchinson £4.25) I admire Giles Gordon; I...

Bookend Since it is rumoured that Associated Newspapers may soon be stepping up their paperback activities, Bookbuyer thought it worth taking a look at the firm's current...

When VAT was introduced in this country by the Finance Act of 1972 the Treasury was quick to proclaim the inviolable principle that it must he an 'across the board' tax. If the...

Leeds benighted Kenneth Hurren The Tempest by William Shakespeare (Wyndham's) Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare (Young Vic) It is one thing for those of my...

Waspe The London Evening Standara, which is reputed to care about the preservation of London's theatres, seems not to have got the message across to its 'Planning Reporter,'...

More flaming films Kenneth Robinson Flesh Gordon Directors: Michael Benveniste, Howard Ziehm Stars: Jason Williams, Suzanne Fields, Joseph Hudgins. 'X' London Pavilion (105...

Royal kung fu Robin Young For once I have been to see some ballet outside London. It makes a difference, to stroll the short distance to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from the...

Nicholas Davenport Reading these 'two books* one marvels that we never had a world oil crisis long before 1973. The cavalier way in which the major oil c ompanies — Exxon,...

Versts of verbiage Bernard Hollowood One of the curiosities of publishing is the spate of books on investment that accompanies every boom in the stock market. The reading...

There is a rather sick joke about a man with a twisted and gnarled right hand going to church to pray. "Please Lord," he says, "make my hand like the other one." There is a...