is not what is required, nor what the best

and selfless suffragettes were after. During
the war, I talked a great deal with one of
these, Dame Edith S'akespear, a wonderful woman
who was distressed at the little headway we
women had made, and the little gratitude
shown by us for all their work and struggles
to get the vote. I have thought a lot on
this problem without knowing any answers.

Have the fifteen members of Parliament
made such a poor showing on international
affairs because the House of Commons is
still a select Men's club? I don't know.

I do know something, however about
the women's organisations in the country.
The Women's Institutes are admirable, but to
me the Townswomen's organisations fail to
make headway or even sense. I have given
talks to so many of them (did you know there
are about thirty women's organisations in
each town?) but I find only two types of
women in them; I- The hossy, self-important
women with the peculiar hobby of serving (?)
on committees. The women whose children

no longer need her; they want something to
fill in their time, as long as no great
mental effort is required. They give to
charities willingly enough without finding
out the cause of the need for them. Nowhere
do they attract the thinking woman.

Soon men may outnumber women, and what
will happen then? An increase in women's
influence or more homosexuality? I feel
it's a matter women should be thinking about
and they are not even aware of it.

It distresses me because I am so
fond of my own sex, thinking them most capable
in practical matters, such as government,

Telephone
Southport 68274

2

11, Harrod Drive,
Birkdale,
Southport.

if only they had the chance and would unite
to help the more intelligent of their

members. I agree with you that women are
not on the whole as imaginative or creative
as men in the arts, though some of us point
to our domestic ties, always with us.

But every day, women leave home, husbands,
children to go off with another man. If
they had an urge to compose or paint, they
would have done that in the past and
present with very few qualms of conscience.

Their genius lies in practical matters,
such as local and national government, for
which I think men are too imaginative
and devious minded.

I wrote what I
thought an amusi ng satire for TV (returned)
placed in 2060a.d. after a women's
revolution. ( no national history allowed
etc) but quite honestly I think it will
be 200 years before women have any power,
and will it be too late?

If you have read so far and have time to
reply, don't fear an improbable love story
in longhand by return of post. I write
only plays, five so far, four of which are
published and in repertory production, and
a fifth on the brink of a first production,

A. M. HEATH & COMPANY
LIMITED

DIRECTORS:
A. HEATH
C. H. BROOKS
P. ROSS
A. M. SPINKS

AUTHORS' AGENTS

PRINCES HOUSE, JERMYN STREET,
LONDON, S.W.1.

TELEPHONE:
REGENT 1347/8
TELEGRAMS:
SCRIPT PICCY LONDON
CABLES:
SCRIPT LONDON

Herbert Van Thal Esq.
Messrs. Home & Van Thal.
36 Great Russell Street.
London. W.C.I.

January 9th 1949.

LETTERS OF SOME ENGLISH NOVELISTS.

My dear Bertie,

I spoke to George Greenfield of Werner Laurie again today and he will be delighted if you will lunch with him on Thursday next, January 13th, when you can discuss alterations to your book. Could you go to his office at 12.30? I have told him this is all right for you.

We enclose 2 Readers' reports which George Greenfield thought you would be interested to see.

We quote you from his letter :

"It seems to us that a collection of letters like this should have one or more of three attributes. They must, of course, be intrinsically interesting as letters. The writer should either be famous or at least remarkable in some way and the recipient must be known to the reader, at least to the extent that his background and personality are not entirely strange. I do not feel that Mr Van Thal has given a full enough introduction in many cases to place both the letter-writer and the recipient squarely before the reader. I happened to read the English Tripos at Cambridge and so perhaps have more background knowledge than many average readers. I confess that several of them, perhaps many, of the persons mentioned are only the shadow of names to me."

If Mr van Thal would consider cutting the MS. to at least a thirs of the present length by skipping the cream off the milk, as it were, and provide fuller introductory notes to each selection, then I think his MS. might well be of considerable interest to us. In any case I am enclosing 2 Readers' Reports which may interest both Mr van Thal and yourself."

I think you will find that you and George Greenfield will agree about alterations and your meeting should be most helpful.

ol/ts.

No responsibility is taken for accidental loss or damage to MSS. while in our charge.