SPECTATORS FOR POLAND

(and Czechoslovakia and . . .)

CHARLES MOORE WRITES: About this time last year, our foreign editor, Timothy Garton Ash, appealed to our readers to buy half-price subscriptions to The Spectator which we undertook to send to people in Poland. He joins me in renewing our appeal now.

Last year's appeal was a considerable success. Fired, perhaps, by a hostile article by Neal Ascherson, our readers generously contributed 184 subscriptions.

Here are some of the appreciative reac- tions: I am one of the Polish readers who have benefited by the splendid idea of sending The Spectator to Poland. I would like to thank you for this kind and thoughtful initiative, not only in my own name, but also in the name of all my friends with whom I share every issue of your excellent magazine.

I represent an oppositional political group called Samostanowienie (Self-determina- tion) . . . Over the last decade, opposition in Poland has grown considerably, both in strength and in number, and there is a great renaissance of conservative thought, espe- cially among young people (the average age of our group's members is 33). Consequent- ly, a number of conservative journals and other publications appear underground, among them our group's own magazine, Samostanowienie.

The editors of those publications find The Spectator, as well as other foreign language periodicals, extremely helpful in their edito- rial job, not only as food for thought, but also as a source of articles to translate. Almost every issue of your magazine con- tains one article which finds its way, in the Polish version, to one or another under- ground periodical. Stanislaw Plewako, Warsaw You may not know how big demand is here for scarce genuine British newspapers and magazines, such as The Spectator, with its sharp, witty commentaries. At present the access to objective world news is not a problem in Poland but what we are lacking is a critical view from outside. I am also enjoying the special humour of The Specta- tor's cartoons. I hope you will continue the action launched during the memorable visit of Mrs Thatcher to Poland.

Aleksander Koj, Krakow

I am very grateful for receiving The Spectator magazine which I was reading with great interest during my stay in Britain two years ago. It is double worth for me to have the possibility to read it regularly. Working on international affairs will be obviously of great use for my work as a journalist and as a staff member of the monthly Wiez.

Kazimierz Woycicki, Warsaw Most of my leisurely moments in the other- wise hectic days are filled with the rambling amusement and pale passions that emanate from your magazine. I have a strange feeling that I am learning something, though I would be hard put to say what I had not known and you told me. But I certainly enjoy your mind-tickling vagaries. I am also moved by the idea of having a collective friend in Britain.

Jacek Holowka, Warsaw

Now it is time to keep up — and increase — the good work. Since our first appeal, Poland has chosen a non-communist gov- ernment at free elections. Many of our Polish Spectator readers are now in that government, or advising it, or working for the Solidarity group in parliament or for various opposition movements outside. Now more than ever they have a use for The Spectator, as a source for ideas about how things are done in a free country, an example of independent quality journalism and, not least, as a source of entertainment and interest in still difficult times.

I have written to all those who kindly gave subscriptions last year, asking them to renew. I also appeal to all our readers to make sure that we double the total number of subscriptions at least. As before, The Spectator will make no profit from the transactions: each subscription will cost £35.00, a 54 per cent discount. Also as before, names and addresses of suitable Poles will be supplied by the Jagiellonian Trust and the Stefan Batory Trust. We are also happy to send subscriptions to Poles chosen by readers, so long as they supply us with their full addresses.

As an incentive to extreme generosity, we are making an additional offer. Anyone contributing 100 subscriptions will have the price rounded downwards to £3,000 and will also be presented with a return ticket to Warsaw, courtesy of British Airways. We shall undertake to furnish him or her with introductions to all the best Poles.

This appeal was begun to help Poland, with which The Spectator has particularly strong links, but we are conscious that all the countries of the Eastern bloc suffer from the same shortage of money which makes the magazine unaffordable, and feel the same hunger for news and ideas from the West. We should be delighted to send subscriptions, on the same terms, to all the Eastern bloc countries, so long as readers give us the names and addresses of the people they have chosen.

More than a thousand readers took advantage of The Spectator Wine Club Christmas offer last year. Let an equal number give more intellectual pleasure to the people of Poland.

Gift Subscriptions for Poland I would like to give subscription/s to an individual or institution in Poland at the subsidised rate of £35 per annual subscription.

Name Address

If you wish to give the name and address of a particular individual please enclose it with your payment. As we wish to add all the names to our computer at the same time please reply by Tuesday, 19 December.

PAYMENT OPTIONS: (Equivalent US$ and Eurocheques accepted) ❑ I enclose my cheque/money order made payable to The Spectator for £f$ ❑ Please charge my credit card for £t$ Please tick: Visa ❑ Access ❑ American Express ❑ Diners Club ❑ Card No Signature Date Please return to The Spectator, Tor Poland', 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL