Widening the War

Sir: Richard Nixon's incredibly assured decision to escalate the war [May 11] is beyond comprehension. In search of that illusory turning point, that single decisive confrontation that for years has confounded American military strategists in Southeast Asia, Mr. Nixon has consciously chosen to disregard the lessons of recent history and threatens to involve this country in a still wider war. In the context of existing concern, his failure to consult congressional leaders is indefensible.

Why Viet Cong sanctuaries in Cambodia suddenly became an intolerable threat to a reduced American presence in Viet Nam remains a mystery. How the destruction of antiaircraft installations in North Viet Nam will ensure the safety of departing U.S. troops is clearly open to critical debate. What is to be gained from a sixto eight-week "defensive" probe across the Cambodian border is at best fuzzy speculation, and miserably incapable of justifying the immediate cost in American lives and the potential costs of an Indochina war.

NED FREED Pacific Grove, Calif.

Sir: I had lost hope of the survival of even a spark of political courage in Washington. No longer. My one gut reaction is, it's about goddam time! Let us work for peace in the only way possible: by defeating and containing aggression against helpless nations. Some of us do this by serving here in Viet Nam. The rest of America must do it by vociferously drowning out the anti-Americans and petty despots of the fanatic left fringes, and providing backbone for our misled legislators.

(CPL.) BRUCE N. KESLER U.S.M.C. FPO San Francisco

Sir: I heard the President's speech on Cambodia. There can be only one way out: Impeach! Impeach! Impeach!

HAAKON B. GROSETH Sarasota, Fla.

Sir: In crises we have always had men to lead us to victory. We have them today: a President who acted, after deep thought and consideration for the nation's interest, without regard to any adverse effect it may have on his political future, and a Vice President who calls them as he sees them. At 80 years I have regained my youthful enthusiasm and faith in our future.

FRANCIS F. HARGY St. Petersburg, Fla.

Sir: In his Cambodia speech, President Nixon said that his ordering troops into Cambodia is not an invasion, because he will withdraw the troops when mission is accomplished. The last time I heard exactly the same argument, it was made by the Soviets in regard to their involvement in Czechoslovakia.

KRISTINA HOHWEILER Norman, Okla.

Sir: One wonders how long presidents can wage wars without consulting those who are asked to die in them. The key phrase in Mr. Nixon's speech was the part about his not wanting to be the first President to lose a war and refusing to let the U.S. become a "second-rate power." Isn't it ironic that the U.S. always laughs at the Orientals trying to "save face"?

NICK NICHOLL Pueblo, Colo.

Sir: As part of his withdrawal plan, the President has repeatedly and explicitly warned the enemy that any action on his part that would endanger our troops would result in an appropriate response.

Within the past few weeks, the enemy has launched an armed invasion of Cambodia and built up his forces at points clearly menacing American and allied positions. In responding, the President has simply done what he said he would do. The notion that this is somehow a change of policy or an escalation of the war is nonsense. We are fighting the same war against the same enemy in the same place. The only difference is that at long last we have a President who recognizes the folly of letting the enemy establish one set of rules for our conduct and a different set for his own.

THOMAS L. MCCLINTOCK Colt's Neck, NJ.

Tragic Violence

Sir: How tragic and unnecessary were the bloodshed and violence on the Kent State University campus [May 18]. President Nixon alluded to this as an expected result of student violence. I believe he is partly right. It started with the violence of a nation pursuing an unjustified and unpopular war in Viet Nam.

Our children are uniquely sincere in objecting to what seem like the actions of misguided leaders. They have observed much rational dissent advanced by members of Congress. They have heard half-truths offered by other Government officials who appear to be serving the interests of militarism in our country or the interests of Vietnamese rulers. What are they to do when at the same time environment deterioration, overpopulation, starvation and a host of other worthy causes demand attention? The natural idealism of youth makes them cry out for redress.

STEPHEN J. KIMMEL Phoenix, Ariz.

Sir: "Young idealist" is just a euphemism for destructive terrorist. They openly breach the law and then seek the sanctuary of our courts when brought to trial. We must take off the gloves and deal with this destructive element of our society; apparently, this is the only effective means of combating its anarchistic actions. In reality, the revolutionaries are the pigs that wallow in the mire of destructive tactics bent upon the overthrow of our society.

MARK E. SINGER, '71 University of Wisconsin Madison, Wis.

Sir: Some spectators cheered as ambulances carried Kent student victims to the local hospital. Nixon has succeeded in dividing to the point that some will condone any degree of violence directed against those with whom they disagree. Approval of killing America's sons and daughters makes one ask: What kind of future can this nation possibly have?

GERI REGULA Akron

Sir: It shouldn't take a university-level mentality to figure out that the quickest way to get a bullet between the eyes is to throw rocks at soldiers with loaded guns.

When are college kids going to stop their tiresome rallies and return to class?

WILLIAM DALZELL Dayton, Ohio

Roaster Roasted?

Sir: The conscious vigor of Agnew's criticism [May 11] has expanded to include University of Michigan President Robben Fleming, along with other university presidents, student protesters, admission policies, parents who have read Dr. Spock and progressive preachers, not to mention any number of implied targets. All this under the guise of roasting marshmallows to give them tough coats. Perhaps in 1972, the marshmallows will have their own version of a roast.

(MRS.) NAN-ELLEN HARRIS Manhattan

Reporting Not Rioting

Sir: The accompanying photograph in the article on the recent dissent and disruptions on the University of California campus in Berkeley [April 27] shows not a demonstrator but Peter Rosenthal, who is (like myself) a staff member of KALX-FM in Berkeley.

A number of the members of our staff were assisting the regular news team in covering the events during that week. Peter was arrested while reporting--his press badge in plain sight--and eventually charged with assault with a deadly weapon (a rock, supposedly), but not before he was first forced to endure a half-hour as a rock shield for one line of policemen. The charges were finally dropped; too bad they couldn't drop the injuries sustained by Peter Rosenthal.

JOHN S. COVELL

Berkeley, Calif.

Escape from Logic

Sir: How can the president of Yale state publicly before the Black Panther trial in New Haven that it is unfair? How can students strike and call the judge and jury prejudiced before the event occurs? What could be more prejudiced (prejudged) than this? What could be more unfair?

The logic of how closing down universities and charging injustice beforehand ensures justice in a forthcoming trial or in the world escapes me. Perhaps Yale needs a compulsory course in elementary logic.

HENRY SCHINDALL

Greenwich, Conn.

Art of Definition

Sir: I am grateful to Arthur Schlesinger Jr. for caring enough to define "strict constructionist," and I thank you for printing his letter [May 4].

In an age when language has become almost meaningless, when the utterances of Presidents and Senators communicate nothing but the existence of their muddled intellects, when the daily papers are filled with columnists expounding absurdities that would formerly have been apparent to children, it was a pleasure to watch Mr. Schlesinger demonstrate that the expository method of definition is not a totally lost art.

JAMES E. SHEPARD Atwater, Calif.

Lenin on the Lake

Sir: During his time in Switzerland, Lenin [April 27] stayed for a while in my home town, Sarnen, where he worked in a quarry. An old fisherman at the nearby lake told me that in the evenings he sometimes took Lenin out in one of his boats, and there they discussed how to better the world.

Somehow Lenin was impressed by this local character, because later he sent him an autographed book from Zurich. "But if I had known what that Russian would do in his later life, I certainly would have thrown him into the lake," the fisherman always concluded his story. He sure missed a chance to change history and to save Russia and many another country from a terrible scourge.

(THE REV.) K. DILLER

Taitung, Taiwan

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