Evening star., 1947-01-02
Letters to The Star
Denies collective Guilt Theory
for Hungarians

Denies Collective Guilt Theory
for Hungarians
To the Editor Of The Star:
My letter Of December condemning
a Czech plan for the indiscriminate mass
expulsion of 100000 Hungarians from
Czechoslovakia. elected reply from
Edward Wolesensky In your December
26 issue.
His letter fails to disagree with-or
even touch upon-my contention that
the Czech government should return to
Hungary frontier regions inhabited pre-
dominantly- some localities exclu-
sively-by Hungarians Ordinarily such
silence, implying agreement, eliminates
further comment. In this case, how
ever, certain generalities, leveled against
the American people and the minorities
Of Czechoslovakia, impel me to place
on record, in your columns, the follow
ing:
!. The American people, accused of
not knowing the historical and political
background of the Czech Hungarian
controversy, on the contrary, is well in
formed on the subject. The very crea-
tion Of Czechoslovakia in 1919 came
about because of American insistence
upon the self-determination of all ma
tions. Czechoslovakia's prewar pros
perity and much of its industrial know
how was created by our reciprocal trade
agreement policy. Thomas Massaryk.
founder and first President Of Czecho-
slovakia, added much to our knowledge
of his country by his Straightforward
utterances and writings. Yes, the
American people do know great deal
about Czechoslovakia.
2. Such statements as "They were all
traitors" ETC., are based upon the falla-
cious theory of collective guilt. In this
case. $4,000 anti-Nazi Hungarians and
Germans, Czechoslovak citizens. rescued
from Na1 concentration camps by the
American and Russian armies, certainly
cannot be classified as traitors. Nor can
old, German-speaking Jews, who, in
the 1890 Czech census professed them
selves to be Germans of Jewish denomi-
nation"
Yet, Czech government DEGREES
prompted by this theory, as reported
in the American press, do not differ
enciate! They confiscate "the agricul-
tural property of all persons OF Ger
man and Hungarian race"
8. Another all inclusive statement Of
the writer, regarding unsolved American
domestic problems, merits only a passing
remark. We have solved our problems
and shall continue TO solve them in the
good old American way,
w. LEWIS HAUSER.
Dupont Circle Traffic Troubles
To the Editor Of The Star:
I would like to call attention to the
frequent disregard of the trafic sig
mails at Dupont Circle on the part of
car drivers and inquire If the Police
Department, besides instructing pedes-
trians how to avoid traffic fatalities
through the medium of motion pic
lures, can't arrange to observe what
takes place at Dupont Circle.
Three times in one evening when
attempting to cross the Circle, only
quick work on my part in stopping in
my tracks saved me from being hit by
q car, the driver of which paid no
attention to the red light against him
permitting pedestrians to cross and kept
right 2on his way. Another time, a few
weeks ago, Capitol Transit bus all
but ran me down when was crossing
from the southeast corner OF P street
to the Circle on the outer red light,
the bus having failed to stop after
leaving the southeast corner Of Massa-
chusetts avenue. Further, I have seen
several other such violations on the
part of private ca drivers at the
Circle in the past when myself was
not crossing. will say, however, that
the taxi drivers appear to observe the
traffic signals at the Circle far better
than private drivers.
Incidentally, I have lived in the
vicinity of Dupont Circle now for over
eight years and I cannot recall ever
seeing patrolman more than three
or four times in that vicinity through
out the entire period. In view of the
amount Of traffic at the Circle, I
would think that the Police Depart
ment should have at least one Of its
traffic cars between 1880 and am.
and from to 1880 pm. each day and
pick up some of these private drivers
who apparently don't believe in signs.
POREPT q POWELL,