STILL SEEKING COMMON GROUND - RESPONSE

This response affirms that the author alone is responsible for what he ''built on Keyes'' and that Dr. Lucile Keyes bears no responsibility whatever for his conclusions. It reiterates the author's view that the history of antitrust shows that, in actual operation, the major purpo se of the policy has always been the promotion of decentralization of ownership and control in the large-firm sector of the economy and not consumer protection. It is urged that no productive exchange of ideas between friends and critics of antitrust can take place until this fac t is recognized. It is suggested that the search for common ground mig ht begin by confining federal surveillance of mergers solely to a set of the largest firms; and that none should be allowed that did not pro mise a clear, non-negligible gain in efficiency.