Sia,—Mr. Roger Fulford's article on this subject is so very
much at variance with the facts already published in The Spectator under the signatures of Mr. Leonard Stein and Mr. Robert Bernays, M.P. (both Liberals), in The Spectator of October 3rd and loth, 1941, that I trust you will kindly publish this reply, which is based on the facts mentioned in those letters, which have never been challenged or contradicted.
Space only permits of dealing with one of Mr. Fulford's inaccurate Statements, which is: "The deafness of the Conservative Party to the clarion warnings of Mr. Churchill and the leaders of the Liberal Party on the German preparations for war "- What are the facts as pointed out by the two Liberals mentioned above?
In July, 1934. when the Conservative Government introduced Esti- mates to increase the Royal Air Force by 41 squadrons, the Labour Party moved a Vote of Censure on the Government, which was strongly supported by the Independent Liberal Party and carried to a division. (Hansard, July 30th, 1934.) The only support!! Mr. Churchill received ftom the Liberal leaders came from Sir Herbert Samuel, who likened Mr. Churchill's language to "that of a Malay running amok rather than that of a responsible British statesman." (Hansard, July 13th, 1934.)
The Women's Liberal Federation, too, was very insistent that the Independent Liberals should join the Labour Party in denouncing rearmaments. In 1939 (April 27th) the Liberals voted against the Con- scription Bill. Within six months we were at war. The most gullible voter will hardly consider such activities as clarion warnings! / agaifist
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