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Some odd things are happening about Basic English. A question on the subject to the Minister for Education on Monday brought the answer that the £23,000 which the Government has thought fit to pay to Mr. C. K. Ogden, the inventor of Basic English, covers the purchase of the copyright (but can't anyone write Basic English who chooses?) and is " intended also to compensate Mr. Ogden for liabilities and losses incurred by him during the negotiations which were started by the Coalition Government two or three years ago." This seems to need some explaining. Now " a Basic English Foundation" is being established for purposes that are not clearly specified, and is to receive a grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Education vote. This, very decidedly, needs explaining, and will have to be explained when the vote is before Parliament. Mr. Churchill conceived an enthusiasm for Basic English when he was Prime Minister and appointed a committee which reported in favour of it. It is by no means clear that the enthusiasm is sufficiently general to justify the present Goveanment in giving this particular
vehicle of communication official and financial blessing.
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