THE S.P.C.E..
Sta,—" Janus " has gently reprimanded me for the use of the word
infinitely " in an article on Napoleon and Hitler which I contributed to The Times on January 13th. I said that "Russian resistance wit infinitely greater in 1941 than in 1812 "; having compared the time which it took the two invaders to reach Mozhaisk, " Janus " concludes that with me infinity " boils down to roughly seven weeks."
" Infinitely " is a colloquial hyperbole which had better be avoidei m writing; so far I accept " Janus's reproof (though its use is x offence against reason or accuracy much rather than " cruelty to English "). But the argument with which he tries to clinch it I very much (no more infinity for me!) weaker. Is enemy resistance the only factor which determines the speed of an army advance? Had there been no resistance at all, Napoleon's army could hardly hate covered the distance to Mozhaisk in less than ten weeks. Had Russian resistance in 1941 been as intermittent as it was in 181; Hitler's motorised forces would have reached Moscow itself in less than a month. But that it should have taken them almost three months to advance from Smolensk to Mozhaisk gives a meaiure of the very muck greater Russian resistance in 1941.
Still, my main reason for writing this letter is not to argue with " Janus "; it is to salute him as " founder, president, and sole member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to English." But wht this self-imposed solitude? May I suggest that he should preval on the Editor to assign a regular corner in The Spectator to th S.P.C.E. where we could meet and function, exchanging complains for our mutual benefit and for that of our common (not mutual!'
Previous page
