Begin's Battles

To the Editors:

It is not Israel's Menachem Begin [May 18] who is "not farsighted enough" as West Germany's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt said. It is the Western leaders who, in their haste to appease the oil-bearing Saudis, give comfort to the P.L.O.

Clara P. Trefethen

Tonawanda, N. Y.

Once more the Federal Republic of Germany is the scapegoat for Israel's inability to handle its domestic affairs. I, as a German citizen, am not ashamed of Schmidt as our Chancellor. Also, I do not feel responsible for what happened in the Third Reich. I can only try to keep it from happening again.

Detlev Kesten

Grand Rapids

Perhaps Begin's harsh words are just a little too honest for those who would like to think that the events in Europe 35 years ago have no connection with today. Yet Schmidt was there in Nazi Europe, and he should still be accountable.

Gerson Samuel Nason

New York City

If Israeli leaders truly wish a peaceful life for their people they should stop their unwarranted thirst for land and learn to live with native Palestinians and Arab neighbors. This would give them time to improve their ailing economy and stop being a burden on the U.S.

Sam A. Suleiman

Iowa City, Iowa

Limiting Immigration

Take down the Statue of Liberty. We can no longer continue to receive the world's "huddled masses" [May 18]. Yes, we are a nation of immigrants, but so are most other nations.

This flood of people must have food, housing, jobs and public services. Can we provide all this without harming the future of our children and theirs? There must be a limit to our compassion, and our hearts must be made to think too.

Roy Farrell

Shafter, Calif.

I agree that the U.S. has every right to take whatever measures it wishes concerning the admission of aliens, but I cannot agree with those who contend that aliens are ripping off Americans. In fact, the intention of most foreigners who come here is to work, and work they do. Refugees from Viet Nam are the byproducts of the long U.S. involvement there. They came here only because there was no alternative when the Americans left.

An N. Phan

San Jose, Calif.

There is no effective birth control policy in Latin America, and we have little control over immigration. The combination of an ever increasing number of jobless and destitute people will produce a further rise in crime, welfare and taxes. Soon an irate electorate will demand an irrational, punitive immigration policy --unless a reasonable, well-enforced one precedes it.

Jim Hardwick

Tulsa

Tip Slips?

House Speaker Tip O'Neill [May 18] may be on the ropes as your article says, but for millions of working people in this country, the principles of O'Neill and the Democratic Party still hold. They can't be disposed of with one election or one budget vote.

Jim Shannon,

Representative 5th District,

Mass. Washington, D.C.

Wisconsin Democrat Les Aspin is out of his mind to criticize Tip O'Neill for lacking zeal hi fighting the Republicans on the budget. Even we card-carrying liberals know that taxes are too high and waste too great to avoid budget cuts.

Robert C. Grant

Denville, N.J.

Speaker O'Neill has led the Congress in its wild-eyed rush toward national bankruptcy and social chaos. He has played a key role in leading America to the edge of disaster.

John Carley

Shalimar, Fla.

Voters' Rights

Your article "Pondering the Voting Rights Act" [May 11] failed to mention groups besides blacks whose voting rights are protected by the Voting Rights Act. Hispanic Americans in Texas and California depend on the V.R.A. for correction of past and present electoral abuse like gerrymandering. The most dramatic increases in registration and turnout have been noted in areas where the Department of Justice has issued V.R.A. letters of objection.

William C. Velasquez,

Executive Director

Southwest Voter Registration

Education Project, San Antonio

Interior's Watt

Hurray for Administration leaders like Interior Secretary James Watt [May 11]. It's time a practical man led the Department of Interior. His opponents have greatly increased the cost of electrical energy with their "endangered snail darter" issue and others. They are concerned with the interest of a tiny portion of our population rather than the welfare of all our people.

Clyde Hukills

Blackwell, Okla.

I wonder what else James Watt has up his sleeve. You can be sure of one thing: he won't be pulling any rabbits out of his hat because there won't be any left.

Sheree I. Hodnett

Norfolk

Ambassador for Denmark

In your article "Molasses Pace on Appointments" [May 11], White House Personnel Director E. Pendleton James is quoted as saying, "Foreign policy is not being hindered because we don't have an Ambassador to Denmark."

Does this slighting remark reflect the attitude with which ambassadors are appointed? Perhaps U.S. foreign policy would even improve if we didn't have ambassadors anywhere.

Victor Borge

Greenwich, Conn.

Interest Go-Round

Because of high interest rates [May 18], my business is operating at well below the break-even point. Consequently, I have had to borrow short-term operating funds from the bank to stay in business. Now, you tell me that because the economy is strong, short-term borrowing is up. Result: the Federal Reserve has increased the interest rate to hold down the expanding money supply.

Catch-22! The higher the interest rate, the less business I have; the less business I have, the more I must borrow; the more I borrow, the higher the interest rate.

It would appear that if I did not borrow short-term and went out of business, that would lower the interest rate. Where are we wrong?

Paul T. Humble, President

Humble Construction Co.

West Liberty, Ohio

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