THE EARL OF SANDWICH'S CREW
SIR,-1 suppose that one really ought to treat Mr. Henry Fairlie's mean little article with the contempt it deserves, but as one or two people other than him- self seem to have read it, some corrections and clarifications need to be made, to supplement those of other correspondents.
Briefly: 1. Apart from being 'twice an unsuccessful Conservative candidate,' 1 have worked in a voluntary capacity for the party for thirty years only retired from a constituency chairmanship last year (because I had done my three-year spell of office) and am still a member. The views I propounc. on the Common Market do not conflict with the party policy last put forward in 1959, which won the general election that year. Whether this is `bile; must be left to specialists like Mr. Fairlie.
1 I categorically deny having used the descrip- tion 'German-born' in the speech at Evesham. Moreover, the whole report of that meeting was slanted and the references to xenophobia were quite unjustified. I suppose this sort of thing by the dedicated Common Marketeer is part of the tactics, as typified by Mr. Faith; to smear and condemn where they cannot convince.
3. I did refer to merchant bankers who, having but recently come to the country, now wish to link us with Europe, because this entirely accurate com- ment refers to people who have given substantial support to the Common Market cause. No one questions their right to do this, but equally there is no reason why they should be immune from criticism.
4. Mr. Fairlie wants to know whence comes our money; I am delighted to tell him. We are entirely financed by the voluntary donations of thousands of people throughout the length and breadth of the British Isles, who have given sums ranging from a few threepenny stamps up to (but not very often) the 1100 cheque. Only three supporters have given more than this; two of them ordinary private individuals, who arc utterly opposed to joining the Common Market, and the other is myself. Having financed a good share of our expenditure so far, there is every likelihood of this ceasing with the cessaiton of my own employment—now that my anti-Common Market campaigning has resulted in my losing my job with the wholly-American- owned Mobil Oil Co. Ltd.
Having given this information about ourselves, perhaps Mr. Fairlie will give (or obtain from his 'European' chums) some details of the funds and resources (and origins) of the money backing the -Common Marketeers. I make the categorical state-
ment here that the various organisations pushing the case for Europe, numbering eight or ten, have together since the war spent more than 11,000,000 on the furtherance of their European aims in this country. JOHN PAUL
Chairman, The Anti-Common Market League 40-41 St. Andrew's Hill, EC4
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