26 1GM RM Tuesday September 15 2020 | the times
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor should be sent to
[email protected] or by post to
1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GFSir, The University of Edinburgh’s
“cancelling” of David Hume shows
that the hysterical attempts to suggest
that everybody before 1960 should
hold the same opinions as we do
continue. The opinion of Felix
Waldmann that “anyone possessed of
Hume’s talents would recognise the
obvious enormity of slavery”
encapsulates this. I see Dr Waldmann
is now at the University of Cambridge:
how does his assumption square with
Isaac Newton being one of the largest
shareholders in the South Sea
Company? The Scottish establishment
is very soon going to have to face up
to Robert Burns’s history. He accepted
a job as a slave overseer on a Jamaica
plantation and was only kept from
sailing because he could not raise the
money for his passage.
Jeremy Tyrer
London SW19Sir, You report that Edinburgh
University is trying to expunge one of
its greatest alumni, David Hume, by
renaming the David Hume tower. This
action tells me more about the state of
the university than it does about
David Hume. As the Scottish
Enlightenment philosopher said:
“Heaven and Hell suppose two distinctSir, Clare Foges (Comment, Sep 14)
says that many former Oscar winners
such as Lawrence of Arabia and The
King’s Speech would “have failed to
make the cut” under the new diversity
rules set by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences. Just taking
historical films set in Scotland gives
an indication of the classics that
would now be denied us: Whisky
Galore, Braveheart, Rob Roy, Bonnie
Prince Charlie and Culloden are a few
that spring to mind.
Joss Walker
Forest Row, E Sussexspecies of men, the Good and the Bad.
But the greatest part of mankind float
betwixt vice and virtue.”
David Osmond
Barnoldby, LincsSir, I assume that “40 George Square”
is named after George III, who was
king during the building of
Edinburgh’s New Town. It may
interest those behind the decision to
rename the tower that for most of his
reign George firmly opposed the
abolitionist movement.
Michael Johnstone
London NW1Sir, I do not suppose that the
University of Edinburgh’s cancellation
of David Hume will do much to
diminish his enormous legacy, but in
any case it was always a bit cheeky of
the university to parade his name,
given that in 1745 he was excluded
from the Chair of Ethical and
Pneumatic Philosophy by “the cabals
of the Principal, the bigotry of the
clergy, and the credulity of the mob”
(EC Mossner’s definitive biography The
Life of David Hume). Plus ça change.
Simon Blackburn
Emeritus Bertrand Russell professor
of philosophy, CambridgeSelf-serving Philby
Sir, Ben Macintyre (“Don’t fall for lies
of this charming traitor”, Sep 12) gives
too much credit to Kim Philby’s
treachery in betraying the joint MI6/
CIA operation to overthrow Enver
Hoxha, the Albanian dictator, in
1949-50. Recent academic research,
including my biography of Colonel
David Smiley, a British army officer
who had fought in Albania with SOE
during the war and who, working for
MI6, trained many of the Albanian
exiles being sent back to their
homeland, points the finger at more
weighty, if less spectacular,
contributing factors. Poor planning,
inadequate field security among the
Albanian infiltrators as well as sheer
bad luck all conspired to undermine
“Operation Valuable”. Philby’s
treachery should be condemned. But
let us not give his own dubious claims
in a self-serving memoir the weight
they never deserved.
Professor Clive Jones
Durham UniversityRainbow bookshelf
Sir, I have been arranging my
bookcases in “rainbows” for ten years
(report, Sep 14). This seemed both
supremely logical and visually
satisfying; the books themselves are
an added bonus. I am surprised it has
taken so long for others to catch up.
Janette Lloyd
WinchesterBannister’s legacy
Sir, As a Pembrokian I am ashamed
that Lady Bannister feels driven to
write to The Times (letter, Sep 12)
about the failure of my college to
adequately display the late Sir Roger
Bannister’s legacy. His trophies and
medals, together with information
about his scholarships, should be
displayed where they will be seen by
undergraduates: the Junior Common
Room. Sir Roger was not only an
exceptional athlete and distinguished
academic but also an outstanding
Master. The treatment of his legacy
by the college is shabby, to say the
least, and may well lead elderly
alumni like me to reconsider our wills.
David Terry
Pembroke College, Oxford, 1956-59;
Droitwich, WorcsDisguised defences
Sir, Further to your report “Defences
in disguise from Battle of Britain”
(Sep 14), and the pillbox that was built
to look like a ruined cottage in 1940-
41, when I worked for the Ministry of
Aircraft Production in ICI House
there was a nearby pillbox built at the
same time in Parliament Square,
facing the Houses of Parliament. This
was very effectively disguised as a
news vendor, so much so that many
people often tried to use it as such.
Peter Banting, RIBA
East Molesey, SurreyReviving your pen
Sir, David Landin’s modern-day
proverb, suggesting that if a ballpoint
won’t work today it won’t work
tomorrow, might need qualification. I
was taught a useful lesson in the
subject of nursing a ballpoint to life
and have found that it often works.
Rather than making a rapid series of
backward and forwards movements
with the pen in question, one should
do them all the same way.
Jasper Stevens
BrightonCorrections and
clarifications
Travel Insurance Facilities Plc:
Apology
On 20 November 2018 we published a
front-page article entitled “Boots
travel insurer faces investigation over
deaths”; together with two further
articles on 20 and 24 November 2018
respectively entitled “I begged, but
they wouldn’t pay to bring my dad
home” and “Insurer left my aunt to
die, says Lloyd’s boss”. In these
articles, we alleged that there were
strong grounds to suspect that Travel
Insurance Facilities plc had
implemented a pattern of fraudulent
practice that had likely led to a
number of avoidable deaths. We now
accept that this allegation is untrue.
We apologise to Travel Insurance
Facilities plc and have agreed to pay
substantial damages and costs.
We are
committed to
abiding by the
Independent
Press Standards Organisation rules and
regulations and the Editors’ Code of
Practice that IPSO enforces. Requests
for corrections should be sent to
Postwar villains
Sir, Aged just 15 at the time, Evelyn
Waugh would have been a highly
precocious political commentator had
he described the 1918 intake of new
MPs as “hard-faced men who did well
out of the war” (Libby Purves, Sep 14).
That description was, in fact, coined
by Stanley Baldwin. As a man who
anonymously donated 20 per cent of
his personal wealth to help pay off the
country’s First World War debts,
Baldwin recognised meanness of
spirit when he saw it.
Rob Maynard
Bristol
University’s ‘craven collapse’ over David Hume
Sir, The University of Edinburgh has
decided to rename the David Hume
Tower because there are “sensitivities
around asking students to use the
building named after the 18th
philosopher”, and that asking students
to work in it is to promote “distress”
(News, Sep 14). I studied in this
building 50 years ago and remember
having a quiet sense of satisfaction
that such a landmark should bear so
illustrious a name. The experience
was not so damaging to my psyche as
to inhibit me from a lifetime’s study of
Scottish culture in its Golden Age or
from editing Hume’s autobiography (I
had guardianship of Hume’s papers in
both my roles as principal curator of
manuscripts in the National Library
of Scotland and curator of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh).
Much as I condemn racism and the
history of slavery, I would
nevertheless encourage all those who
are disappointed by the university’s
craven collapse into political
correctness, and who are alarmed at
the trend for judging the past by the
virtue signalling of the present, to join
with me in referring in future to the
Snowflake Tower in Woke Square.
Dr Iain Gordon Brown, FRSE
EdinburghDiverse Oscars
from the times september 15, 1920
BATHING
FACILITIES
IN LONDON
Protecting wildlife
Sir, Those accusing the government of
dishonesty might first reflect on their
own actions (“The RSPB has accused
the government of being dishonest
about its conservation efforts”, Sep 14).
The continued reliance on legal
protection has failed hedgehogs for
one because it overlooks the fact that
the number of badgers, which kill and
eat them, is rising. Ironically it is the
government that is willing to be
honest about the limitations of legal
protection, hence its decision to work
alongside land managers to recover
the hen harrier population in England
(a scheme that has just achieved the
best results in 20 years — success that
the RSPB is now trying to halt in
court). Farmers and other working
conservationists recognise that our
wildlife needs a more proactive
approach and we welcome news that
hundreds have already signed a
pledge to see this happen.
Andrew Gilruth
Game & Wildlife Conservation TrustSir, Land does not have to be protected
to save wildlife. There are thousands of
hectares of moor, farmland and woodsthat are owned and occupied by land
managers who are actively conserving
wildlife that is not recorded in the
RSPB-led “State of Nature” report.
Biodiversity Aichi targets can also
clash with those for renewable energy.
Wind farms, both onshore and
offshore, have a negative impact on
eagles and seabirds respectively;
hydro-electric schemes affect
migratory salmon, afforestation
removes habitat from ground-nesting
curlews and maize grown for
anaerobic digesters damages the soil
(“Floating wind farms will help nation
hit green targets”, Sep 14). Rather than
seeking more legislation, conservation
organisations would do better to
explore these trades-offs and embrace
closer ties with private interests.
Rob Yorke
Abergavenny, MonmouthshireSir, You report that the turtle dove is
on the brink of extinction in the UK.
Throughout the summer we have
been beguiled by the sight and sound
of a lone turtle dove in our village.
Sadly it has now departed but during
the worst period of the lockdown the
dove’s gentle coo was a great solace.
Rosamond Gallant
Ashley, Northantsthetimes.co.uk/archive
Benefits of HS2
Sir, Although I sympathise with the
passions of Thomas Crowe, a young
environmental activist (“HS2 is
harming the environment and should
be scrapped”, Thunderer, Sep 14),
many of his claims do not stand up to
scrutiny. There are 52,000 ancient
woodland sites in England. Our
independently assured assessments
state that 62 ancient woodlands and
204 local wildlife sites will be affected
by HS2’s full route, not 108 and 693 as
Mr Crowe claims, and more than 85
per cent of the 62 ancient woodlands
will remain intact and untouched by
HS2. More importantly, HS2 will offer
some of the lowest transport carbon
emissions: seven times less than
passenger cars and 17 times less than
domestic air travel.
We accept that there will be some
loss of biodiversity in the building of
HS2, which is why we are creating
habitat and planting trees along the
route. But people will always want to
move across Britain for work and
leisure. Indeed, it is critical for the
government’s “levelling up” agenda
that they do. It is surely better that
people travel on low-carbon rail than
in cars or aircraft.
Allan E Cook
Chairman, HS2
The summer has been unpropitious
for bathing, and fewer children than
usual have drowned in forbidden
waters. But we may hope that the
Education Act, 1918, has begun to be
efficient in preventing the drowning
of children. It allowed the local
authorities to provide for teaching
them to swim and large processions
of children being led to public baths
by their teachers have begun to be a
welcome sight in London. No form
of physical exercise is better for
young people. It increases self-
reliance, strengthens the muscles,
and expands the chest. It promotescleanliness of the body, and assists
cleanliness of the mind by
accustoming the eye to an innocent
familiarity with the unclothed body.
Subject to the usual requirements of
bathing dress, and to provision for
segregated dressing, we believe that
the mixed bathing of children, still
frowned on by school authorities,
would be an unmixed advantage.
Public swimming baths, now fairly
well distributed through London,
supply the most convenient arena
for bathing in the school curricula.
They are independent of the
weather, are maintained at a suitable
temperature, and can be visited on
days and hours arranged
beforehand. But they cannot take
the place of open-air bathing. Their
atmosphere rapidly becomes
vitiated, and the healthy stimulation
of the play of sunlight and wind and
wet skins and of the varying
temperatures of air and water is
absent. Bathing is allowed in TheSerpentine and in many of the parks
and open spaces controlled by the
London County Council. But these
facilities are badly distributed over
the London area, and are subject to
restrictions so severe and so varied
that the wish to have a plunge might
well cease before the would-be
swimmer had discovered where to
go. Almost invariably bathing is
forbidden on Sundays, and often on
Saturdays after 8 in the morning. On
most days it is forbidden in the
noontide heat. There are different
hours or days for males and females.
It would seem as if the chief aim of
the authorities was to confine it to a
few regular enthusiasts. The season
is almost over now, but new
regulations take a long time to draft
and to pass, and we hope that the
necessary steps will be taken in time
to increase the facilities next year.Beat that
Sir, On “Catch of the Day” (letter, Sep
14) and GBS’s fishy verbal trawling,
the great Barry Cryer was asked to
define the phrase Carpe Diem. He
immediately responded: “Fish of the
Day.” I thought that pretty good until
moments later Graeme Garden was
asked to define Après Ski, and he
smoothly offered: “Plaster of Paris.”
Andy Palmer
Mappowder, Dorset