Roy Weintraub and Robert Leeson suggest that Keynes was the chief
promoter of the idea that he was the first economist against laissez
faire, but they surely can't suppose that he was unaware of the
widespread support of his 'classical' contemporaries for public works
in the Depression. For example, speaking of Pigou and Robertson he
wrote (to Kahn, 10 Oct 1937) : '... when it comes to practice, there
is really extremely little between us. Why do they then insist on
maintaining theories from which their own practical conclusions
cannot possibly follow?' (CW XIV, p 259). See Also CW XIII, 495ff.
(Thanks to Geoff Tily for finding the quote for me.)
Victoria Chick