Letters

I am not a Knight of Malta but a Knight of the British Order of Saint John. They have nothing to do with the various spurious orders that have taken the name "of Malta" or "of Saint John."

Mr. Boada is a liar and fantasist. Neither he nor Col. Bert Grove, who is also featured in the article, is a Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Guy Stair Sainty
New York, New York

Mr. Ambassador: At Least the Name's Right
I just read parts of the article by Robert Andrew Powell called "Diplomatic Impunity," but I had to stop when I saw Mr. Powell's reference to me. I'm quoted accurately -- that's not the problem. It's his description of me as "head of the European Genealogy Section of the Library of Congress." I'm not the head of that section. I don't even work in that section. One reason could be the fact that there is no part of the Library of Congress with that name.

William Addams Reitwiesner
Washington, D.C.

Book Shoulda Been Booked
I thought Jim DeFede did a fine job in his article about Ron Book ("Dear Chief Justice: Throw the Book at Him," July 10). I sent in my letter to the state supreme court asking that Book be disbarred.

While I would fight to the death for everyone's right to express his or her opinion, I do respectfully disagree with Patti Gondola ("Letters," July 17) about how wonderful Ron Book is because he gives to charity.

Most politicians donate only a pittance to some charity. Lobbyists and wealthy businessmen are no exception. If these people gave till it hurt, this community would not need help from the federal government. In many cases, the contributions are a cover for someone who should change occupations, and they encourage people like Gondola to say, "Don't pick on this nice person," or "If he donates to this organization, he can't be all bad." Phooey!

The real question is how to get the Florida Bar Association to issue stricter penalties for those who corrupt the system.

John A. Brennan
Miami