Never let the facts get in the way of a good speech is apparently the notion of Willis brokerage chief executive Joseph J. Plumeri, who has been giving talks citing a bogus letter purportedly written by President Martin Van Buren.
When asked about the use of the letter by Mr. Plumeri, Dan Prince, spokesman for Willis, said there were some doubts about the letter's authenticity, but Mr. Plumeri felt it was an effective tool to use to help demonstrate resistance to modernization within the insurance industry. Any reference he made to the letter was always preceded by a qualifier questioning the letter's authenticity, said Mr. Prince.
Mr. Plumeri, CEO and chairman of Willis Holding Group has been using the letter to illustrate his concerns about resistance by the industry to modernization.
The letter was supposedly written in 1829 to President Andrew Jackson, when Mr. Van Buren was governor of New York. It argues against the spread of the railroad system and preservation of canals. In it, Mr. Van Buren argues that the changes the railroad would bring on, if left unchecked, would eliminate many jobs and pose a danger to the populace.
But there is no evidence the letter is real.
According to www.snopes.com, one of a few Web sites devoted to debunking urban myths and legends, the letter is a complete fabrication, and first appeared in 1983. It has undergone numerous changes since over the Internet.
In another instance, demonstrating where the story was better than the facts, Floyd Norris, reviewing the book "Myths of Rich & Poor," in the New York Times on Aug. 15, 1999, noted the authors use of the letter to illustrate their point on downsizing. He said the authors apparently thought it was too good a story to pass up. They allowed the notes to explain that historians consider the letter to be bogus.
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