THE SPECTATOR FOR POLAND
Timothy Garton Ash writes: THIS seems like a good moment to put forward an idea with which Mr Spectator has been toying for some time. The idea is that readers should take out half-price Spectator subscriptions for people in Po-
land. Many Poles go to great lengths to be well informed, about the world as well as about their own country. It would be an exag- geration to say that they can learn nothing from the censored official press. By the standards of pre-Solidarity years, or by those still prevailing in East Germany and Czechoslovakia, much of the official press is remarkably frank. But to get at the truth, the Polish reader has to turn to the independent Catholic papers and journals (also censored, and with arbitrarily limited circulation); to Western broadcasting sta- tions, among which the BBC has a reputa- tion second to none; and to the extraordin-
ary range of books and journals produced in samizdat. But few and privileged are those who have regular access to good Western periodicals. We propose to swell their number.
Potential recipients in Poland will be identified with the help of the Jagiellonian Trust and the Stefan Batory Trust, two British-based charities devoted to support- ing the best in Poland's cultural and scholarly life. I can vouch for their work, as a trustee of both. We hope to send to libraries or institutions where the maga- zines may be read by several people, as well as to individuals. Please complete the form below. Thank you in advance.
P.S. Some may wonder whether the copies will actually get through. On past form, most of them do. The exceptions generally seem to be issues with articles about Soviet bloc countries— for example, if I write about Poland....
Gift Subscriptions for Poland
I would like to give subscription/s to an individual or institution subsidised rate (half-price) of £30.25 per annual subscription. in Poland at the 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, 1 November.
PAYMENT OPTIONS: (Equivalent US$ and Eurocheques accepted)
❑ I enclose my cheque/money order made payable to The Spectator for Es
❑ Please charge my credit card for f/5 Please tick: Visa ❑ Access ❑ American Express ❑ Diners Club ❑ CardNo .............................................................................................................
Signature Date Please return to The Spectator, Tor Poland', 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL
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