A REGISTER OF LINGUISTS SIR,—May I, as Chairman of the
Linguists Committee of the Central Register of the Ministry of Labour and National Service, comment briefly on the letter from my friend, Mr. Herbert Loewe, published in The Spectator of February 16th under the heading " A Register of Linguists? "
Mr. Loewe obviously writes under some misapprehension. Constant use is being made of the Languages Section of the Central Register by the Government Departments which re- quire its services, and the Minister did not, as Mr. Loewe suggests, ask for " A Register of Linguists." He stated that in order to supplement this Section of the Register where it was found to be deficient, names were wanted of linguists, British born and of British parentage, who possessed a knowledge of one or more of twelve specified languages and for whom there was an immediate demand or whose services might be required at a later date. Mr. Loewe is a distinguished Oriental scholar, but he has not specialised in any of the languages mentioned in the letter from Mr. Brown.
I can safely say that the Ministry greatly appreciates the offers of voluntary service made by Mr. Loewe and other distinguished linguists, although it may not as yet have been possible to utilise every such offer.—I am, Sir, yours faithfully, P. J. HARTOG.
Queen Anne's Chambers, Westminster, London, S.W. r.
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