Geoffrey McDermott, CMG
The Spectator records with regret the death of Mr Geoffrey McDermott, who in recent years, since his retirement from the Foreign Service (he was latterly HM Minister in Berlin), had become a valued contributor. He was sixty six. called against my wishes by Mrs Szymaniak (Hon. Sec. Anglo-Polish Society, London Group), in my own Byron House on 17 November did not 'insist' on my producing my circular letter to the Ambassadors, but this I circulated at my own volition to prove that it was a roneoed notification and not an invitation. Lord Lytton did not say, 'If this isn't an invitation' —but rather, 'If this is an invitation' (requesting Ambassadors to pay) — 'I don't know what is.'
As regards the previous Chopin concert at the Polish Institute on 11 November, this I had been specially invited to (together with the Polish sculptor Mr Jaroslaw Giercarz Alfer, who has sculpted a bust of Chopin for the Guildhall concert) by Mrs Lucie Swiatek, founder and Hon. Sec. of the Chopin Society. When I told her of the trouble Prince Lubomirski and other Poles were making (over East European Ambassadors having bought tickets for Guildhall) Mrs Swiatek and Count Grocholski (vicepresident, Chopin Society) both asked me to explain the unfortunate position which had arisen to the audience present (many of whom had already bought tickets, although some were being persuaded not to come — nor to return the tickets). This I did — in a few minutes' explanation — while introducing the sculptor at the same time, as Mrs Swiatek had requested.
Incidentally, the (royal) caterers informed us that fifty (not one hundred) 'gatecrashers' demanded suppers (which accounted for the hundreds of pounds we had to return for suppers unserved). Also, the concert was not in aid of the Sikorski Museum, but of the Anglo-Polish and Chopin Societies, together with The Byron Society.
Elma Dan gerfield Chairman, Organising Committee, Chopin Comrnermorative Concert, 6 Gertrude St, London SW10.
Sir: Miss Marjorie Wallace ('Storm in a Polish teacup' your issue of 9 December) appears to suggest that we are all a nation of hysterical buffoons not to be taken seriously. Whilst strange, it is to be hoped merely an isolated personal opinion, certainly, it seems, not shared by the very many English friends steadfastly and loyally refusing to support the principle and practice of Oppression.
I should like to take the liberty of reminding you and your readers that the subject of the controversy surrounding the uncalledfor invitation of the Iron Curtain ambassadors to the concert organised jointly by the Byron Society, the Chopin Society and the Anglo-Polish Society (the latter a wellknown and very obviously an 'emigre' organisation) was a perfectly logical development of the original reason why most of us decided to stay in England at the end of the second world war. Namely; we chose freedom as against the other alternative.
Peter Christopher Blauth-Muszkowski 45, Meadvale Road, London W5.
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