Letter: Hitler a socialist? Not in my book

THE BOOK, The Lost Literature of Socialism by George Watson, an edited extract of which appeared in your Culture section (22 November), should include an objective assessment of the author's political beliefs.

Some of the points I do not expect to find covered in his book are:

1. The following comment made by Adolf Hitler to the Daily Express in 1930: "Our adopted term Socialist has nothing to do with Marxian Socialism". The interesting words being "adopted term".

2. The fact that Hitler only came to power thanks to the backing of right- wing conservatives.

We are invited to believe that a government brought to power by conservatives, subjected communists, socialists, trade unionists and liberals to internment or execution in order to create a socialist state. The contradictions are surely just too great.

EDMOND MCMONNIES

Liverpool