WHAT PROPORTION of Communists in a body makes it reason-
able to suppose that they have practical control of it? There are so many people who have been associated with Com- munist and pro-Soviet activities on the 'Preparatory Com- mittee' of the `International Conference on Regional Planning and Development,' to be held shortly in London, that those who know them by repute are beginning to shy off what might seem on the face of it to be an unexceptionable get-together. This is certainly a healthy reaction, but the reputation of these rather minor figures is not likely to have reached abroad, and it seems to me to be rather bad luck on the American and other experts invited that no one thinks kto give them fair warning. The trouble is that the FBI take so long to 'clear' organisations that people attend such conferences in all innocence, only to find months later that they are branded as Communist-front sympathisers. It is true that the Communists' habit of grabbing a few dozen innocents and then sponsoring an organisation, or alternatively infiltrating and 'capturing' an already existing one, is to some extent just a silly Stalinist game, giving them plenty of opportunity for harmless conspiratorial fun. And it seems, at first sight, as if no damage could be done by this conference. After all, there are few opportunities in this country for Communist architectural innovations like the built-in microphones Dr. Adenauer's delegation found in their walls in Moscow. Still, I notice that one of the activities now planned will be the collection of topographical information. And we all know who wants topographical information, and why. So perhaps someone should keep an eye on it after all.
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