Bigotry

Sir—I feel I must acknowledge the justice of Andy Easton's reference to "criticism by the uninformed". It is precisely because I have not yet attained the exalted state of omniscience which Easton appears to claim for Prof. Buchanan that I criticised his attitude.

Perhaps even Prof. Buchanan would not, if pressed, claim to know everything about Asia. Despite his "particularly intimate study" of that area, I still consider he displayed a deplorable lack of acedemic impartiaility in so contemptuously refusing to accept an invitation to hear a speaker with whom he disagreed.

Easton should read the excellent article by Prof. I. D. Campbell in Salient 18. Speaking of Erasmus, Campbell said:

"One thing alone he wholeheartedly detested, and that was fanaticism, which he looked on as contrary to reason. Every form of intellectual intolerances was irksome to him ... He detested bigotry in all its manifestations, and bias whether in a priest or professor".

I remain, etc.,