Romania, China

The Bush Administration has strongly condemned the brutal killings of protesters by Romanian security forces, calling this action one in sharp contrast to those in the other Eastern bloc countries. The Administration is correct; the action is in sharp contrast.

However, another sharp contrast is that of the response of the Administration to this event and to very similar, but undoubtedly far worse, events in Beijing last June. Those events prompted a very mild, diffident and, as we have learned since, hypocritical reaction by this Administration. The difference, it appears, is that we have few business or political expectations of Romania, and so we may object vigorously, without loss of what we don’t have anyway.

HARRY M. BAUER

Sherman Oaks