Valentine Lawford’s Views

To the Editors:

In my recent book Armed Truce published by Atheneum (New York) and Hamish Hamilton (London)—and reviewed in the June 11, 1987 issue—I gave the impression inadvertently on page 319 that I considered Mr. Valentine Lawford, an official in the Foreign Office, in London, to have approved the Soviet Union’s absorption in 1944–1945 of the once free nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Mr. Lawford had assured me that he never entertained such views and I recognize that my judgement was based on a misreading of the Foreign Office papers concerned. I wish to apologize to Mr. Lawford for the irritation that I caused him.

Hugh Thomas

London, England