Irrelevant comparison

I am writing in response to two readers' letters on Sept. 9 referring to Princess Diana.

S. Natarajan's evasive reply to Bill Guerin's letter of Sept. 8 regarding presidents of countries only serves to confirm that Mr. Guerin got it right and that Mr. Natarajan would not make similar comments if the victim were one of his own. How many times has the world seen princesses dying in such circumstances?

Concerning the rest of the letter, Mr. Natarajan shows a lack of respect for the dead and for all British people at such a sad time for our nation. I assume from his name that he is not a British subject, in which case what Princess Diana should or should not have done is no business of his. His remarks are pompous, self-opinionated and uncompassionate.

Moving on to the second letter, I would firstly like to agree with all the positive things said about Mother Teresa, except the unnecessary comparisons. The Mother's comparison with anyone is, in the writer's words, "totally irrelevant," which begs the question as to why the writer goes on to compare her to others including Princess Diana in a particularly indirect and evasive way. Only the final paragraph refers directly to the Princess, again disrespectfully, offensively and incorrectly.

Let us be thankful that Princes William and Harry and the innumerable people who have benefited from her humanitarian and charity work are likely to be spared the sight of such ignorant comments. The writer clearly fails to understand that his or her "irrelevant comparison" totally devalues the tribute to Mother Teresa that was presumably intended. I think we can be sure that the compassionate Mother would certainly not have approved of such a "tribute."

ROBERT WOOD

Jakarta