29 DECEMBER 1973

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Medicine and morality

The Spectator

Sir: Mr Casper Brook, Director of the Family Planning Association reveals (Letters, December 8) in his criticism of Dr Linklater's article that he has failed to grasp what sex...

From Mrs Valerie Riches Sir: Miss Claire Rayner's reply (December

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15) to my comments on her vitriolic attack on Dr John Linklater may give the appearance of a reply to the points I raised about her own 'advice' column to young people, but I...

From Miss P. Hare Sir: Having read the correspondence following

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Dr Linklater's article, as well as the article in Radio Times about Claire Rayner, I feel that the subject needs pursuing further. Miss Rayner bases her argument on the...

From Mrs Florence M. Hooper Sir: It is an extraordinary

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sign of our times that the moment someone tries to put forward a sensible view on human sexuality, they are black-listed as a 'Victorian moralist.' in the field of sex education...

Sir: I have read with great interest the correspondence following

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your article on abortion, and have noticed that most, if not all the letters have been written by male readers who have been concerned with the moral issues involved. As a woman...

Not in church

The Spectator

Sir: May I, as one of the "lay lackey" organisers of the special service to mark the start of the Europe for the Third World Week rejected from St. Paul's Cathedral, beg space...

From Mrs Emily Jackson

The Spectator

Sir: I do not know the details of the services condemned in your leader . 'Not in church,' but there are manY churches dedicated to "teaching th e word of God" who would...

Vivisection

The Spectator

Sir: Anyone who opposes this par. ticular form of devilry is invariably held up to the ridicule of his neighbour as a sentimental idiot, as one who IS endeavouring to thwart...

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Museum charges

The Spectator

Sir: Now that entrance charges, it seems, are indeed to be imposed on National Museums from January I. National Heritage is quickly mounting the detailed research into the...

Students and politics

The Spectator

Sir: Mr Paul Barry's criticisms (December 8) of the article by Dr Rhodes Boyson appear to resolve themselves into pedantic disputation about the meaning of the phrase 'political...

Satisfied customer ,

The Spectator

Sir: Perhaps it was natural that I should not rush to praise your chief book reviewer, Mr Richard Luckett, before he had fairly established himself. However, now that he has...

Abinger Forester

The Spectator

Sir: May I make one tiny comment on JIM. Stewart's very generous review of the Abinger Edition Howards End and The Manuscripts of Howards End? (December 8). The deprivation to...

School ban

The Spectator

Sir: I want to protest that just because Schoolboy Rising by Nigel Foxell, is a novel about Aldenham, the Head master has banned it from School Library. Though published by a...

The Goatleys

The Spectator

Sir: Two interesting points arise from Dr John Linklater's account of the Goatley family (December 1). What, in his professional opinion, is the likely effect on the Goatley...

Sir: Dr Linklater . 's sad tale of the Goatley family (December

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1) is only the epitome of the demoralisation of the British people by welfare gone mad. The general loss of self-reliance and personal pride consequent upon the post-war...

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Political Commentary

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The value of Parliament Patrick Cosgrave Last week I wrote about the possibility of a military takeover in this country, and the circumstances in which that possibility might...

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A Spectator's Notebook

The Spectator

In normal times the diarist must pay some regard to the calendar. But these are not normal times, and if I were to begin this column with the conventional wishes for a Happy New...

Little Benn

The Spectator

Ex-Honourable Tony Benn, The champion of all Common Men, Dismisses with derisive scorn Such lords as Hogg or Viscount Pont (Even drops Wedgwood from his lottery As redolent of...

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Educating the disabled

The Spectator

Hope in spite of lethargy Alfred Morris In a parliamentary reply last month Margaret Thatcher told me of her decision' to set up an inquiry into the educational needs of...

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Westminster Corridors

The Spectator

Puzzle is imbued with the Yuletide spirit and cares not tuppence if elections are in the air bringing seasons of mists and mellow mendacity. He will send the readers to the plum...

Page 10

Corruption in Local Government

The Spectator

Who gets bribed and why G.W. Jones Publicity about recent allegations and convictions has suggested that local government is riddled with corruption. Corruption is, in fact,...

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The unacceptable face of Valium

The Spectator

John Linklater Valium is one of the safest and most generally useful drugs to be introduced into this Country in the last ten years, yet supplies of Valium and of its cousin...

Religion

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Right belief, right action Martin Sullivan It is "necessary to everlasting salvation that we believe rightly about the fundamental doctrines of thethristian faith." So runs an...

Page 12

Country Life

The Spectator

The world at night Peter Quince There will no doubt be certain , small compensations in the long. Age of Scarcity into which we are entering. (I put it in those definite...

The Good Life

The Spectator

Simple saucery Pamela Vandyke Price "The world is very evil," remarked St Bernard (not the doggy one). Yet although his daily round was complicated by Plantagenets, Abelard,...

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Richard Luckett on the poet who wrote in prose

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"What about Browning? Does he entertain you?" The question was put by Ezra Pound to one of his correspondents in 1916, but is probably more pertinent today than before. In 1916...

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Nazi and gentleman

The Spectator

Maurice Buckmaster Canaris Andre Brissaud (Weidenfeld and Nicholson E4.95) Revival of interest in the arcana of the second world war, manifest in the crop of new historical...

Convert or subvert

The Spectator

Roy Wallis Believe What You Like, C. H. Rolph (Andre Deutsch, £2.25) Two Disparate Philosophies,. David R. Dalton (Regency Press 0.00) To most people Scientology is an obscure...

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Political science

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Kenneth Minogue The Limits of Human Nature edited by Jonathan Benthall (Allen Lane, DI.) One of the indestructible projects of the modern world is that of bringing together...

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Shorter Notice

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Gilbert and Sullivan and Their World Leslie Baily (Thames and Hudson. £2.25.) Very much in the way of a postscript to the author's giant book on the subject back in 1952, this...

Bookbuyer's

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Bookend It is pleasant to be able to acknowledge a dazzling achievement in this gloom-ridden Christmas week. The honours, with hearty seasonal congratulations, go appropriately...

Talking of books

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Here, Pluto! Benny Green It is a revealing comment on the mess into which the human race has worked itself that whereas the definitive fictional archetype of the nineteenth...

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Christopher Hudson on National Rifle Association heroes

The Spectator

Dirty Harry is back, in Magnum Force ('X' Warners) directed by Ted Post who gained relevant experience in making Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Apes, mind you, are relatively...

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Television

The Spectator

Bumper numbers Clive Gammon Rich reading for the holiday flopped on to my doormat, as on millions of others, well in time as usual. In time, but not timely, though no one's to...

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Second thoughts on the mini-budget

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Nicholas Davenport After its sigh of relief, which put the FT index up 10 points, the Stock Exchange woke up to the real significance of Mr Barber's mini-budget. It was an...

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Portfolio

The Spectator

Into equities, into Clover Nephew Wilde I had intended to talk about the commodity market this week. However, I feel circumstances have changed sufficiently to justify...