AFTER THE PARTY SIR,-1 judge from some observations in his
thought- ful review of my book that Mr. Arden and I must have met in some previous existence—perhaps he was a King's Messenger in Sofia when 1 was a Com- munist slave. I am, of course, sorry not to have shown more keenness about his story about the Minister. Rude of me; but the fault, really, of his colleagues. All members of all foreign missions in the Balkans at that time had perfectly killing stories about all Ministers of all Balkan lands. And all, as Mr. Arden does now, used to say 'And this one is actually true.'
I am happy to have Mr. Arden's assurance that ideologies and party organisations and the rest of that long-haired stuff are out. The pronouncement has a nostalgic ring. I well remember an uncle of mine telling me the same thing when I was a lad, liable to be seduced by trashy philosophical 'isms' and systems of logical thinking. My uncle—a banker—told me it was all nonsense : and common sense, right down to earth, would prevail.—Yours faithfully,
CLAUD COCKBURN
Room 5, Block 6, St. Stephen's Hospital, Glanmire, Co. Cork
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