Savoy gift Sir: In paragraphs headed, 'Savoy Gift,' published in
your City diary on August 12, you refer to the charitable trust, which Miss Bridget D'Oyly. Carte recently estabHshed, by the gift to it of Savoy shares.
In the course of your commentary, you say as a basis for your comments: (1) "The Chairman of the Savoy group, which includes Claridge's and The Connaught, is Sir Hugh Wontner, who is reported to be pleased with Miss D'Oyly Carte's gift . . . . "
In fact, Sir Hugh Wontner is away on holiday and has made no statement of any kind about Miss D'Oyly Carte's gift. The alleged ' report' is, therefore, entirely surmise.
(2) You say the gift "will help the Savoy management to stifle criticism .
Of course, it will not do so, could not do so, and is not intended to do so.
(3) You say that "Some of his (Sir Hugh's alleged) relief is possibly connected with the use he has of Claridge's penthouse suite . Miss D'Oyly Carte's gift has no connection whatever with the occupation of rooms at Claridge's by Sir Hugh Wontner or anyone else.
(4) You add that "Claridge's penthouse suite . . . . is reported to be so magnificent (to the chagrin of Claridge's guests like Stavros Niarchos) . . . "
A reference to "Claridge's penthouse suite," as though there was only one, is in itself entirely misleading, and the alleged "chagrin" of Mr Niarchos and others is wholly an invention. (5) You further state that "newspaper photographers are forbidden entry so that small shareholders do not become disaffected and want bigger dividends." Newspaper photographers have never been permitted by the management to take photographs inside Claridge's, a policy in force in many leading London hotels, and, to give the impression that this is a prohibition confined to one apartment in one hotel, and for the reason stated, is wholly mischievous and misleading. This long established rule, going back certainly at least seventy years, has no connection whatever with shareholdings, large or small, nor has it, or could it have, any bearing whatever upon the dividen.
F. C. Sawford Secretary The Savoy Hotel Limited, Secretary's Office, 1 Savoy Hill, Embankment Gardens, London WC2
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