11 FEBRUARY 1949, Page 20

A BARBARIC CUSTOM

Sitt,—I read with interest Mr. Langley's letter in the Spectator of February 4th. The main, if not the only, reason why grandmothers insist on the circumcision of their grand-daughters is that there is no hope of marriage for an uncircumcised girl and no hope of subsistance without marriage. The day that the first educated Sudanese says, "I will marry an uncircumcised girl," on that day—and not before—will circumcision