Czechoslovakia

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31767, 26 August 1968, Page 12

Czechoslovakia

Sir,—Unless Russia takes steps to reverse its actions, the New Zealand Government, as a gesture of protest and of support for Czechoslovakia, should expel the Russian Legation until less reactionary rulers take over in the Union of so-called Sodalist Republics. Having no official representatives in Moscow against whom the Russian Government could retaliate. New Zealand is favourably placed for taking such action. I do not advocate anything personal against individual members of the legation, for one of whom, at least, I have considerable personal regard, and they should be given a choice of resigning from their Government’s service and staying as private citizens or else going home. Nor do 1 agree with “L.G.W.” that the Soviet Union should be expelled from the United Nations. The United Nations, by its very nature. Is an association from which no nation should be expelled or excluded, however sinful.—Yours, etc., MARK D. SADLER. August 25, 1968.

Sir,—l am sure that a Czech looking down the business end of a Russian sub-machine gun would find the views of “A New Zealand Housewife” a little hard to stomach. He would wonder, as I do, that there are people willing to believe that Russia “is protecting us from the rising Nazi element ... in Germany today.” He would ask why such people can justify something as blatantly wrong as the invasion of his country because of -a war they oppose on the other side of the world. He would ask why they can accept the totally unsubstantiated evidence that bis country was welcoming neo-Nazi Infiltrators when 25 years ago their fathers were busy with a village called Lidice. The Czechs are tired of Big Brother and they want to taste freedom. If this makes them a potential Fourth Reich then Sieg Heil!—Yours, etc..

MURRAY WILLIAMS. August 24, 1968.