Constable Country
Sia,-01 course the Dedham Vale Society is bound to lose in the long run: sooner or later the Vale will surely be built over, if not already submerged beneath the waters of a reservoir or enclosed by a Service department. This, after all, is a demo- cratic country, and one where most of the popu- lation happens to have little interest in the appear- ance of its surroundings.
Why, indeed, should we hesitate to turn England into a philistine's paradise, if that is what most of us want? It is already hard to answer the question in terms which are generally acceptable, and only two arguments seem likely to carry much weight in the future. One is that a philistine's paradise would have few attractions for tourists and business- men from the many countries where other ideas prevail. The other is that those in England who care about their surroundings probably include. despite their small numbers, the majority of our most lively and intelligent 'citizens. The increasing ugliness of the country has already strained their patriotic feel- ings; if the trend continues it will undoubtedly begin to aggravate the 'brain drain.'
Churchill College, Cambridge
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