In defence of Nixon
Sir: Your leader (August 3) in which you once again call for the House of Representatives to impeach President Nixon, and for the Senate to find him guilty goes far beyond the bounds of fair and unbiased press comment. You say, and quote, "if with all the evidence now available all the admissions and deceit and lies, the last act of the tragedy is not performed the United States is headed for dictatorship." This really is absolute rubbish, you talk of admissions, lies and deceit, yet at no time do you name what dreadful things Mr Nixon is supposed to have done. The reason for your failure to name any specific crimes committed by Mr Nixon is that like all of his other accusers you are unable to produce any. The worst thing that can be said abont President Nixon is that at times his Judgement was poor and that he placed too much reliability in over-zealous subordinates. (It should be added that these people are soon to go on trial themselves, yet their guilt has apparently been adjudged by all and sundry.) Anyone who has watched the recent House Judiciary Committee's debate and vote on the articles of impeachment could not have failed to have been stunned by the degree of bias against the President by the Democratic members thereon. The sight of twelve of them voting to impeach Mr Nixon for his secret bombing of Cambodia left a very sour taste, especially when one remembers how President Johnson misled Congress and the people during his years in the White House.
One can only hope that when Mr Nixon's trial takes place in the Senate, as now it surely will, enough Senators will see the accusations for what they really are and will accordingly vote against them, Is America so rich in political talent that it can afford to lose the finest President it has ever had? Mr Nixon should not and must not be impeached. Paul Smith 4 Farnborough Avenue, Walthamstow, London £17
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