31 JULY 1941, Page 12

"REGRETTABLE BROADCASTS "

SIR,—As the broadcaster of the Postscript on the evening of July 13th, I am interested to learn from the letter of M. E. Durham that I am " so doped with nicotine " that I have " lost the power of self-control." Equally interesting to me is your correspondent's news that on that unlucky night this speaker " informed us that he was in the habit of smoking forty cigarettes a day and intended to continue doing so as long as possible " and " therefore begged us all to be lenient towards those who expend petrol on going to dog and horse races." Not content with this staggering syllogism, your reckless correspondaz proceeds: " He gave no thought to the fact that by taking more that his fair share he is depriving others." .

Those forty cigarettes—now being valiantly reduced to 32—nut have got me very badly down, for neither memory nor a re-reading ti my script admits that I was quite so daft as all that. My intentint was certainly the other way about; and either I am indeed doped or your correspondent is a rather dangerous person to be at large in a country at war. You, Sir, can have access to my script and judge as between me and M. E. Durham's defective ear; and a doubt the B.B.C. can easily show that it did not really allow defeatist dope-fiend to subvert the lieges for fifteen minutes on erg Seriously, it is alarming that a person who can neither listen intelh. gently nor report accurately should be free to take up space in rim Spectator. But now, at least, we know why Goebbels perseveres wit,