Sir, Joan Kennedy (September 6th) protested at the Irish flag being flown at half-mast for Princess Diana, "a foreign national". Does she object that the same was done for JFK? I doubt it. I suspect she is complaining because it was for a British national. Diana was a world-famous person, loved by millions globally, as Hillary Clinton pointed out in her tribute in the same edition. I was in the US at the time and was struck by the reactions of the American public. The whole country was stunned. Millions got up at 4 a.m. to watch the funeral and bars opened at this time to show it on large-screen TVs. People openly wept while they watched. The US flag flew at halfmast in many cities. There were queues outside the British Embassy in Washington and at consulates in many cities as people waited to sign books of condolence. On the Sunday there were services of remembrance all over the States and last Sunday 14,000 people attended a service of remembrance in Central Park at which prominent singers from the New York Metropolitan Opera sang. I was deeply touched by the reactions of the people of this former British Colony. They were able to appreciate the Diana's compassion and good works, to see her as an important international figure, unlike many in the Irish Republic who cannot come to terms with the fact that "British" does not always equate with "bad". - Yours, etc.,Keith Wilson-Davis,Ballygallum Road,Downpatrick,Co Down.