[To TOE EDITOT OF THE "SPECTATOR:']
Sts,—I am sorry that Captain Williams-Ellis should think that any part of my letter in your issue of September 15th pallid:, of the nature of "nonsense"; but, with no desire to argue, I will adopt his own tale of the young patriot who had no desire for a uniform so long as he w•ns provided with "a horse and a goon." It does not matter whether—after the war--any man of its deeiree to build better houses for the multitude, to improve hie farm, or to expand the trade of the country. If—like myself—his lot has in these last three years been that of the civilian left to carry on. every one of us knows Ilial we do not want uniforms: we do want "a horse and a goon." We want, in fine, that "State aid, nal State action," which, despite my gallant antagonist's opinion, is no fantastic paradox. State action leads to Schemes, Orders, Recommendations, Committees, Resolutions, Cottferenees, and chaos. State aid—having duly taken security of me, and laid down certain conditions—tells use to take my pound of aid and make it two. If the use to whirls I put my pound ie bad, I mutter. Captain Williams-Ellis is interested in the Housing PreWent. I am interested in it, and, like myself, be is probably interested in several others of equal urgency. But to all there is one key, and one only. We want the "horse and goon," which sire rash and credit at home, and abroad a responaible Consular or Commercial Service. The latter is properly a matter for offiviala, and. thank Heaven! the Foreign Office and Board of Trade have got to work. But in the matter of the credit, without which England will fail whether to reap the results of the war or to make good its losses, we wait but we do not see. One 'Prude Bank is of no nee. The trade of the country wants financing. State aid to found Trade Banks, Trade Banks to carry the State: therein lies " the root of social reform." Better holm., education, wages, shorter hours—these and all such depend upon State ant for individual and local enterprise. From the uniform, in the geh.e of State action imposing upon its a National SelitRne, n.av Ile•nven
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