BRITISH CULTURE AT ATHENS
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sia,—The speech of the Prince of Wales a few days ago to the British Council for relations with other Countries has encouraged Anglo-Athenians to hope that at last something may be done to promote British culture at Athens. While there are lecturers on French, German and Italian literature at the Athens University, subsidized by their respective governments, there is no chair of English literature. In addition to their lecturer the Italians have an Institute, where every winter eminent Italian men of letters, artists and publicists deliver addresses on their country's achieve- ments. Of all great nations Great Britain alone, the country of Byron, Finlay and Gladstone, is absent from the cultural life of Greece. Will no patriotic and affluent benefactors provide the small .sum necessary to remedy this lamentable defect at a time when German is becoming the second language of Athens because the Germans work while the British are losing ground ?—I am, yours, iSze., WILLIAM MILLER.
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