Letter: Unfair exchange

Sir: In 1876, Bismarck noted that the Balkans were not worth the bones of a single Pomeranian grenadier. Could Paddy Ashdown ("We cannot allow the Serbs to attempt a `final solution' ", 20 January) or you kindly convert this into British soldiers at the 1999 rate of exchange?

ALASTAIR MEEKS

London SE13