A few months ago I promised to give subscribers ample warning and profuse apologies if ever there was ever any question of raising the subscription price of this magazine. At the moment I am not altering the present rates but it seems as though the economic facts of life may make this necessary in the not too distant future. For example, if the recently publicised increases in the postal charges come into effect the cost of postage on a single copy of this magazine will jump from 4d. to 8d. in the following manner second class postage up to 2ozs 6d. plus a further 2d. for h additional 2ozs (the Newsletter with its envelope weighs at fraction under 4ozs). This means an immediate increase in costs of 4s. -d. per annum made up of twelve Newsletters at an increase of 4d. each. I have no knowledge of the intended increases in printed paper rates for overseas mail but it is reasonable to assume they will be proportionately the same. In addition, the cost of printing this magazine has increased by 40% over the past eighteen months. Subscribers have only to look at past issues of Wargamer's Newsletter to note that I have held it at its present subscription rates since March 1968 and there cannot be many magazines (or any other commodity come to that) that have not increased in price during that period. In addition, the transcription to decimal rates of currency will be upon us shortly and as soon as I understand the new system I am afraid that it will be necessary to add a few shillings (or cents) on to the annual subscription for Wargamer's Newsletter. But, I hope you think it is worth it. The Avalon Hill General is an American magazine of a highly specialised nature devoted to board wargames. In the July-August 1970 issue I had the greatest pleasure in reading the following: "WARGAMER'S NEWSLETTER, that grandaddy of all wargame publications, gave the perfect answer to those who find ways to chastise us for supporting the hobby. "Terrible as war may be," quoting from Donald Featherstone's brilliant editorial, "it has the saving grace of arousing such admirable qualities in man as nobility, courage, self-sacrifice, fortitude, humour, and devotion -- all of which go a long way towards wiping out the baser aspects of human conflict." Featherstone, by this recital, does not defend war per se. All he is saying is that war has been "an inevitable reflection of the failings of human nature for as long as man has existed" and it is simply unrealistic, sometimes hypocritical, to assume that if we stop talking about war that it might go away. More about this mature approach to wargaming is available by writing direct to Wargamer's Newsletter." Thank you Avalon Hill General - I find the complexities of these board wargames to be something for which I am temperamentally unsuited, nevertheless I respect the enthusiasm and genuine know-how of both contributors and readers of this American journal. Back to Table of Contents -- Wargamer's Newsletter # 102 To Wargamer's Newsletter List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1970 by Donald Featherstone. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com