Czechoslovakia

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31771, 30 August 1968, Page 10

Czechoslovakia

Sir, —The Rangiora Labour Representation Committee wholeheartedly supports the right of the Czechoslovak and Vietnamese people to govern their own countries without Russian or American intervention. External aggression by the big Powers for their own strategic purposes at the expense of people in small countries is immoral and contrary to the principles of the United Nations. Czechoslovakia should not have to negotiate under the duress and presence of Russian troops, and similarly the Vietnamese should not have to negotiate while American bombing continues. —Yours, etc., W. T. RICE, PAUL PIESSE. August 29, 1968.

Sir, —Between the magisterial omniscience of George Kelly’s epistle, and the amusing absurdities of "Vostock” (Russia would have found 10 times the number of the casualties expendable in order to get control of Czechoslovakia) in this morning's “Press” there were some useful and intelligent letters. Of course the similarity of the Americans and Russians in their conflicting spheres of warlike activity now cannot be ignored, though I, myself, have tried to illustrate other facets of the situation. Both the big Powers have categorically declared that they were requested to go into South Vietnam and Czechoslovakia respectively to save the inhabitants from attack from dissident forces, and both are destined eventually to suffer loss of face in their own countries and the respect of world opinion by being compelled to withdraw from their commitments or be branded as simply bloody (I use the word in its politer sense) aggressors and bullies. —Yours, etc., I.S.T. August 29, 1968.

Sir,—The Soviet Union’s actions in Czechoslovakia are deplorable, but are the result of its leadership of its political bloc, not its socialism. The United States thought and acted in an identical, and hardly less subtle, way in the Dominican Republic; a regime whose policies could possibly “threaten security” was crushed by force followed by the installation of a more agreeable Government, achieved in the case of the United States by none-too-free “elections.” In the case of the U.S.S.R. it is by other, equally undesirable, methods. The end results are also identical, so the United States and all nations which stood by silently, including New Zealand and Australia, during the Dominican intervention are grossly hypocritical in condemning the present action of the U.S.S.R. The moral for us is that nonalignment is the only possible way of preserving a national identity; bloc membership involves unnecessary additional threats from fellow-members. —Yours, etc., NON-ALIGNMENT IS THE ANSWER. August 29, 1968.

Sir, —How perfectly splendid! “Peace in our time” once more; and everybody, especially the Russians, happy with what has been achieved. Except, perhaps, the unfortunate Czechs, who will now have to endure again all the repressions from which they had so admirably escaped. Still, nobody can say we did not do our best with all those demonstrations, protests, and abusive words about Soviet tyranny, very little of which, one suspects, ever got through to more than a handful of the 200 million Russians. Anyway, it looks as if we are going to be allowed to hear what is actually going on in Prague and the Kremlin only so far as it suits the Soviet plans, and it is un-

likely to be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.—Yours, etc., ILAM. August 29, 1968.

Sir,—After reading all the correspondence on Czechoslovakia I contend that the time is long overdue when the word “democracy” should have one interpretation for all countries. Every country interprets “democracy” to suit its own particular brand of politics and behaviourwars, killing, invasions, peace, etc. Democracy given its real meaning could at least substitute reason and common sense for emotion and mass hysteria throughout the world.—Yours, etc., CONSISTENT. August 29, 1968.

Sir, —One cannot help but be annoyed at attempts to whitewash the Russian butchery of Czechoslovakia by comparing it with the American defence of South Vietnam. The Americans were invited to enter the country by the legally elected Government, and stay with the consent of most of the people. This contrasts sharply with the united Czech opposition to the Russian invaders. The Soviet claim that they were invited to enter Czechoslovakia is, as all the world knows, a typically dirty Communist lie. The Russians have snatched away the gallant Czechs’ freedom and in doing so have shown that they intend to keep eastern Europe enslaved for ever.— Yours, etc.,

ANTI-RED. August 29, 1968.

Sir,—l am amazed at the torrent of letters comparing the situation of the Czechoslovaks with that of the South Vietnamese. Both South Vietnam and Czechoslovakia, having chosen the free road, have been invaded by their neighbours—the Communist States of North Vietnam and Russia. The difference here is that while the Americans and other South Vietnamese allies are there to help the South Vietnamese to obtain that freedom, the whole world merely stands and watches the Czechoslovaks struggle. Also, by using terror tactics, the North Vietnamese staff the Viet Cong, many of whom desert to the South Vietnamese Army. The Russians, on the other hand, cannot find collaborators at any price.— Yours, etc., DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. August 28, 1968.