20 DECEMBER 1957, Page 18

AN ANATOMY OF HYSTERIA

SIR,—Professor Eysenck, of the Institute of Psy- chiatry, Uniyersity of London, has sent me the following letter, which I have his permission to quote :

I think your question has a relatively simple answer. By definition, Conservatives want to conserve old established values and deeply re- sent any attack on this, going to the extents you mention. Equally by definition, reformers do not have such deep-rooted traditional values which may take on the appearance of being sacrosanct. Conversely, assassinations have always been the prerogative of the Left for quite obvious reasons.

—Yours faithfully, Pall Mall, SW I