PLEASE NOTE:
*
Date sent: Wed, 11
Feb 1998 09:28:02 -0500 (EST)
From:
Benny J Peiser B.J.PEISER@livjm.ac.uk
Subject:
Re: Cambridge Conference
To:
cambridge-conference@livjm.ac.uk
Priority: NORMAL
SIR ARTHUR'S GOOD FIGHTING SPIRIT AND GLOBAL SUPPORT WIPE OFF
TABLOID SMEAR CAMPAIGN
From: Sir Arthur Clarke
Dear Benny,
Yes, by all means send my messages to anyone interested.
As you can imagine this is taking a lot of my time and energy
but it
has been a heart warming experience because so many people have
rallied
around me.
Pete Worden will be giving me the gen on Greenland.
All good wishes.
Arthur
10 Feb. 98
Sir Arthur C Clarke, Kt, CBE
25, Barnes Place, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka.
Phone: (94 1) 694 255; Fax: (94 1) 698 730
-----------
Independence Day Banquet, 5 Feb 1998
After running a gauntlet of
journalists outside President's
House, I went upstairs to the main Reception Room, where some 300
VIP's were being lined up to meet Prince Charles. I was delighted
when President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga grasped my left
hand (the right was holding my stick!) and shook it
vigorously,
saying "I'm so glad you were able to come!"
Then some kind official jumped me up the queue
to meet Prince
Charles as early as possible. After we'd shaken hands, (and
been
photographed doing so) I reminded him of our last meeting
at the
2010 Premiere. He asked, "Are you still
writing?" I answered
"Yes, Sir - I've just sent half a million words
to my agent."
Then, as there were some 200 people waiting behind me, I left him
and sat in the back of the room, where I was greeted by literally
dozens of local dignitaries, all very
friendly. One was the
Maldivian Ambassador, and I asked him to give
President Gayoom
the good news that global warming isn't going to happen.
In the main Banquet Hall, I was seated at the table
adjacent to
the main one, so I had a clear view of the
President and the
Prince, who were obviously enjoying themselves
and engaged in
animated conversation. Their ability to keep going after standing
for two hours to receive guests absolutely astounded me.
I was sitting at the table with the U.S. Ambassador and his
wife,
and next to the Indian High Commissioner. I was delighted to find
that he'd read 3001, was a keen science fiction fan, and had seen
all the latest films. And he was anxious to learn SCUBA
diving -
so needless to say, I told him about Underwater Safaris.
The Banquet was excellent but didn't finish until
about 12:15,
when it was announced that a cultural event would take
place on
the lawn. So I left quietly, rather tired, but very happy.
While waiting for my car I was again accosted by British
report-
ers with TV cameras and microphones, asking if I had
any state-
ment to make. I referred them to the Press
Release which has
apparently already gone around the world. While I was doing this,
a gentleman in Arab dress came up to me, shook hands,
engaged me
in conversation and said: "I am the Ambassador
from Kuwait." I
was delighted that the reporters were able to observe this.
I left about 12:30, after one of the most enjoyable and
possibly
important evenings of my life.
STATEMENT BY SIR ARTHUR CLARKE
As - obviously - I am now taking legal advice, I
cannot go into
details, but I realise that responsible members of the media
deserve some kind of statement, and that
silence can easily,
though wrongly, be taken as an admission of guilt.
Having always had a particular dislike of
paedophiles, few
charges could be more revolting to me than to be classed as
one.
However, as I have already said, the
allegations are wholly
denied. Indeed the accusations are such
nonsense that I have
found it difficult to treat them with the
contempt that they
deserve. My conscience is perfectly clear.
In any even, I categorically
state that "The Sunday
Mirror"'s article is grossly defamatory and
contains statements
which in themselves and by innuendo are quite false,
grossly
inaccurate and extremely harmful.
However, one good thing which has come out of this is that I
have
received support from so many friends and admirers all
over the
world; some of whom I never knew I had. I
wish to take this
opportunity to thank them for their support and express my regret
for the embarrassment the allegations in the "Sunday
Mirror" have
caused to them.
Sir Arthur C Clarke, Kt, CBE
25, Barnes Place, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka.
Phone: (94 1) 694 255; Fax: (94 1) 698 730