"Attlee and Bevan"
SIR,—One can appreciate the Rev. Mervyn Stockwood's desire to be tolerant by a "purely personal approach" to his subject, but a woolly tolerance that confuses the purely personal with the purely political has its dangers. Few would dispute that what he says of Attlee the man is fully merited. But, in para. 5 of his article, where he recalls the hi-election, what appears to him a vindication of Mr. Attlee's . integrity seems to me merely a slur, unintended perhaps, on Mr. Churchill's.
Mr. Stockwood is a veritable Pang/oss when he comes to deal with Mr. Bevan, whose charm as a host and kindliness as a man disprove, to Mr. Stockwood; all Press reports of his politics and ambitions. He is an "arch-individualist," yes; but he is " dmbitious for Socialism" and "quite indifferent about his personal position." (Mr. Bevan has just challenged Mr. Morrison for the deputy-leadership.) Even the " vermin " speech is charitably glossed over and minimised, for "malice and venom are not part of his make-up." But surely, Sir, there is ample proof in verbatim speeches and factual reports that Mr. Bevan does, in fact, preach a bitterly narrow and out-dated class-warfare, and that his policy of unrestricted State benefits, even at the cost of national solvency and self-defence, is exactly what the Kremlin warmly approves.
It all sounds vaguely familiar. Is it not in line with the reflections of the credulous fellow-traveller, returning from his sponsored visit
to Moscow ? "Mr. Stalin is a friendly and pleasant man to meet : I like him. His political philosophy and methods must surely have been misjudged !" Facilis descensus Moscuae.—Yours faithfully,
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