Sleep-Walking As I read Mr. Grouse's article 1 found myself
wondering whether he w as one of those who happen to be born not merely middle-aged but middle-aged long after their time. He writes to fact as if the past two decades had never been, as if our society is not in the middle of radical change, as if this country and the whole Western world are not on the very edge of a new life. It is not surprising that his view of the domestic, situation tends to be simpliste. Without a vigor. ous jump to the right, he suggests, the Conserva: Live Party 'is well on the way to losing the t/e-%. election.' But if this judgment is not so unthink- ingly facile as I think, then it is surely the cella' sel of despair. The struggle for the centre—and this is the bit of the battle that matters—is mat _ to be won by retiring smartly to the right frantn On the contrary; and when Mr. Heath cones back from Brussels with his agreement, the one thing abbve all that the Conservative Party must do is to show itself unmistakably as the real pre' gressive force in British and in European politics. It is not merely European but Atlantic Um° which is coming towards creation, and the Tones will indeed deserve to fail if, when the time comes, they do not make every effort to mate°, the occasion with something a the vigour foresight being displayed by the US acuitustra: lion. The West's awake at last, but Tories temPten to adopt the attitude sketched out by Mr. Grouse would have the country sleep-walking into the future.
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