Sta,—Whether Mr. Radinsky's intellectual processes have been thrown out of
gear by his obvious dislike of our country or whether they just don't function at all is perhaps idle speculation. But his amazing statement that America is not interested in this war because we are fighting for "our kind of democracy" and not hers, is an entirely novel piece of mental gymnastics which would turn Lord Haw-Haw green with envy. He might just as well say that this is a war between a nation which closes its " pubs " at is o'clock and one which closes them at midnight, that is, if I may follow his example and eliminate France altogether.
Might I be permitted this brief attempt to blast into Mr. Radinsky's skull the fact that the issue in this war is not just democracies (of whatever brand) versus totalitarian States, but one of law and order versus gangsterdom. What we want to achieve is a decent and civilised standard of behaviour between nations, the honouring of treaties, the acknowledgement of other nations' rights, respect for their possessions, international co-operation and the submission of disputes to arbitration. It so happens—and quite naturally so—that those nations which are unscrupulous and brutal in their dealings with other countries are equally unscrupulous and brutal in their treat- ment of their own domestic problems, but this is no reason to jump to the conclusion that we are fighting to impose "our own particular kind of democracy" on other peoples.
Even if our kind of democracy was the grotesque picture of political mug-wumpery which it pleases Mr. Radinsky to think it is, we are entitled to maintain it in our own country because it happens to suit our own people, just as the United States are entitled to theirs. But both our "kind of democracies" believe in civilised conduct in the international sphere, and it is on that common ground that we just happen to be fighting America's battle for her, whether she—or we— like it or not —Yours faithfully, C. H. ROBINSON. 45 Gower Street, W.C. r.
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