Gang secrets

What really amazes me about Baden Powell possibly having had a meeting with Hitler regarding The Boy Scouts and the Hitler Youth Movement (your report, 8 March) is that this information has only come to light, restriction having been mentioned as due to the Official Secrets Act.

As far back as 1957 and again in 1972 Ralph Reader, the founder and creator of the scout gang shows and a great member of the Scout Association throughout his life, wrote in his publication This is the Gang Show (circa 1957) that Von Ribbentrop of the Nazi movement saw a performance of the Gang Show in 1936/37 at the Scala Theatre London, and was so impressed that he asked Mr Reader to get involved with the Hitler Youth. He obviously thought Mr Reader had a great flair for producing and presenting large male youth shows. Mr Reader mentions this again in his memoirs of 1972. How has it taken so long for the Baden-Powell tie-up to come to the public eye? It is also worth noting that Mr Reader turned down this invitation as his war record with the RAF Gang Shows goes to prove.

GORDON T BLACKBURN

Honorary life president, Edinburgh Gang Show

Cramond,

Edinburgh