Madam, – The death of John F Kennedy’s speech-writer Ted Sorensen (World News, November 2nd) raises the question of who was responsible for one mistake and one eyebrow-raising quotation in the president’s address to the Oireachtas in June 1963.
In his opening sentence, referring to the gallantry of Meagher’s Irish Brigade at Fredericksburg, Kennedy dated the battle September 1862, whereas it was fought in December that year.
A passage devoted to the contribution of small nations to humanity was quoted without attribution.
This was just as well because had he named its author he might have caused a riot from the assembled TDs and Senators, many of whom had experienced at first hand David Lloyd George’s concern for small nations. – Yours, etc,