Jesse Helms

Sen. Jesse Helms’ (R-N.C.) threat to engineer the departure of the United States from the U.N. (Jan. 21) if he doesn’t agree with its policies has an ominous quality about it. It sounds very much like the politics of senators earlier in the century who successfully lobbied to prevent the United States from joining the League of Nations.

There is a strong belief on the part of many historians and analysts of history that the United States’ refusal to join the League of Nations contributed significantly to or directly caused World War II. I wonder whether he’s given consideration to the possibility that such a withdrawal could have severe negative consequences.

I believe that the U.N., with all its flaws (and here I would probably be in agreement with some of Helms’ criticisms), nonetheless serves a positive purpose. Its continued existence with active American participation in it may prevent the occurrence of major world conflict. The next world war could be the last.

MORTON SCHAEFFER

West Hollywood

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Helms has personally warned the U.N. that it must improve in order to receive our dues. Enough is enough! Helms is a major embarrassment to our nation. We made no promise to pay our U.N. dues only if the U.N. were operated at some particular level of efficiency.

Perhaps Helms would allow U.S. taxpayers to withhold their federal taxes unless our government operated beyond some arbitrary level of efficiency? Maybe then we wouldn’t have to pay taxes if all the “pork” projects in any single annual national budget exceeded $100 million. The solution to the Helms problem: a national referendum calling for his resignation.

MARTIN WILLINSKI

Northridge

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Is it possible for the Republicans to replace Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with someone who cares about democracy and peace in the world? Can we not encourage North Carolina to fly the Confederate flag and secede from the Union?

MIKE STRONG

Corona del Mar