THE LEFT BOOK CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24261, 1 April 1940, Page 9

THE LEFT BOOK CLUB

ro THE EDITOR

Sir, —Your correspondent. Mr D. M. Taylor, has been very persevering in his efforts to prove that the statement made by Dr D. G. McMillan that the Left Book Club “ is not a political body” is contrary to fact. In spite of your correspondent’s pains to paint a lurid picture of the so-called Communistic activities of this body he can bring no evidence to show that the Left Book Club is a political but not an educational body. By means of this educational body, those who are privileged to attend the meetings are enabled to study and discuss social, economical and political literature in all its phases. Because members may discuss a work on Communism or Bolshevism your correspondent is not justified in suggesting that the members of the Left Book Club are Communists or Bolshevists. In order to correct his narrow political outlook and endeavour to broaden his limited imagination I would suggest that your correspondent would do well to attend a course of lectures and discussions of the Left Book Club. He will be quite safe, will not be sworn in under the red flag and will not be converted to the doctrines of Marxism. Communism or Bolshevism. With all best wishes to vour correspondent. and advising him to evade all political bodies.. “with quite unusual associations with Communism.” — I am, etc.. R. W. McCutclieon. March 29. 1940. TO THE EDITOR Sir, —Your correspondent D. M. Taylor must be thanked for his exposure of the Left Book Club. Unfortunately he does not go far enough. His prejudice is confined to Communists. Other people have other prejudices, and it is ohly fair to warn them also. Some, for instance, are prejudiced against the aristocracy. Their fears will undoubtedly be aroused when they know that the Left Book Club had Lord Addison as a speaker at one of their rallies and actually published a book for him. And more dangerous still is Prince Friedrich Hubertus. of Loewenstein. a blue-blooded aristocrat and a Catholic to boot, not to mention Sir E. D. Simon, Sir Charles Trevelyan, the Earl of Lislowel, the Duchess of

Atholl and Lady Violet Bonham Carter, all of whom have spoken or published under L.B.C. auspices. Others dislike scientists. Their prejudice may justifiably lead them to attack the club, for its speakers and writers have included England’s top-ranking men of science: Bernal. Blackett. J. B. S. Haldane. Le Gros Clark, Sir P. Chalmers Mitchell (all Fellows of the Royal Society). H. Levy and Joseph Needham. Or you may worship science but distrust the tribe of artists and writers. In that case also beware of the Left Book Club. It has published a book by Stephen Spender, the poet, it has allowed J. B. Priestley, the novelist, to speak at one of its great rallies in the Albert Hall, and Paul Robeson and the New Zealander David Low, Then there is the Liberal Party. There is every ground for believing that it is using the Left Book Club to stage a come-back to political power. Lloyd George, Richard Acland. M.P.. Wilfrid Roberts. M.P.. and Sir Norman Angell are only a few of its members who have spoken at Left Book Club meetings. Finally, staunch Nonconformists m,av well be appalled at the prominent part played by the Anglican Church. The Very Reverend the Dean of Canterbury and his colleague the Dean of Chichester have wormed their way into the very heart of the organisation and spread their views by boqk. speech and pamphlet on every occasion. Canon Narborough is another man to watch. And mbst dangerous of all is the action of the Bishop of Durham, who used all hip powers of oratory in the House of Lords to persuade their Lordships to read Kolnai's “ War Against the West.” a notorious publication of the Left Book Club. I have not mentioned the insidious burrowings of the Labour Party (represented bv Its leader Major Attlee), the Universities (the Master of Balliol). the Army (Major Hooper), and the Royal Navy (Lieutenant-commander Young), but enough has been said to indicate the exasperating variety of opinion represented. Whatever a man’s convictions he runs the risk In this club of hearing a view different from his own. In a word, it offers a dangerous threat to the sanctity of human prejudice.—l am. etc.. Colonel BHmp. Dunedin, March 30