True Freedom!

Dear "Salient."

The Ire of "A.M." seems to have been raised by the fact that I had given to his remarks the essential background that he omitted, and without which no one should be expected to determine whether Britain "was entitled to justice" in respect to the bombing of the Indian frontier tribes.

"A.M." remarks that he has been reading and writing about Imperialism for many years (longer than I care to consider). Surely the time has come to drop this attitude of mildness and to "come out of the rancid atmosphere of the Ivory Towers into the strong winds of nature and society." I quote from an appreciation of Ralph Fox who was fully aware that the attitude of "Splendid Isolation" from the struggle for freedom from oppression had no place in a writer's sphere. To-day, people will have to face facts as they exist and not, "Pollyanna"-like, say with deprecating mildness that things might have been worse.

That there is freedom of discussion of a sort in Britain is not denied—freedom for each little group to discuss the Government's policy while the capital Interests go ahead and boost the prestige of the Government per the medium of their newspapers only so long as the Government protects those same interests by means of the Air Force. In all our mildness we must also remember that the same Air Force is paid for by taxation of those same people that object to the policy of the Government. Surely, If there was true freedom—economic freedom—those protests would take some more concrete form than mere discussion.

There we come to the whole crux of the difference of opinion between "A.M." and myself on this question. Freedom is only an empty name while economic pressure is brought to bear against those who differ from the existing order. Although the methods differ, the effects of economic pressure against the freedom of a people are as great as the effects of armed force.