Soviet Helmsman

To the Editors:

Dream on, Pollyanna. Yuri Andropov [Nov. 22] is another xenophobe who will provide the cutting edge for the Soviet scythe of oppression. Don Klein Gaithersburg, Md.

Many in the West think Andropov has pro-Western leanings. But remember, he was once boss of the Soviet secret police. He did not get where he is by having pro-Western sympathies. Michael Ganz Dallas

To put down Andropov's collection of books and records, which run to Jacqueline Susann and Chubby Checker, as one of poor taste is symptomatic of the blindness that characterizes our Soviet watching. The items that Andropov has acquired provide an answer to the question: What do Americans read and listen to? From the Soviets' perspective, the masses are the heart and soul of a nation. It is a crucial question for them to ask. Our answer, as reflected by the Andropov collection, is regrettable. David Ish San Francisco

It is unfortunate that President Reagan did not attend the Brezhnev funeral. At a time when our NATO partners are looking forward to fruitful U.S.-Soviet negotiations, the President's attendance would have been a signal of a commitment to work with the new Soviet regime. Leon Warden Valencia, Calif.

After reading your obituary on Leonid Brezhnev, my first thoughts were that he was not such a bad guy after all. However, the details about his role in the bloody Afghanistan coup brought me back to reality. Danny Van Loo Nieuwpoort, Belgium

Your comment that the Soviet Union is currently facing an economic crisis because of its tremendous defense spending should be a warning to President Reagan. If we continue to pour money into our war machine and neglect other problems, especially unemployment, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the Soviets. Michele Liguori-Ram Brockport, N. Y.

Memories of Nam

The gathering to honor those who died in Viet Nam may have opened old wounds [Nov. 22], but it was necessary so that these wounds could finally heal. Far from being painful, the events in Washington elicited tenderness, love and understanding for the veterans and their families. Susan Gillern Baltimore

The people of the U.S. have finally taken their heads from under the eagle's wing and acknowledged that those who fought, died and were wounded in Viet Nam are heroes and not bums. Richard Auten Stratford, Conn.

It is appropriate that all those who died so far away for their country should be together on what is now the U.S.'s wailing wall. Jesse T. Westburgh Columbus

The black and abstractly unorthodox style of the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial is not a "humiliating antiwar mockery." The architecture challenges the glory associated with war, a misconception often held by those who have never fought in battle. The monument's gloomy nature is consistent with the reality of war. John Geary San Jose, Calif.

The below-ground-level construction of the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial permits those seeking the names of loved ones to enter into the Valley of Death with them, achieving a feeling of communion and identification. The reflected images in the highly polished stone increase the sense of unity with those being remembered. A memorial of any other design could not capture this sensation. Lucile Reade Snohomish, Wash.

President Reagan displayed his misunderstanding of the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial in his remark "We are beginning to appreciate that they were fighting for a just cause." The monument was not established to justify a questionable war. It honors those who fought and died, and serves as a reminder that the wounded are still among us. Barbara Hart McCarthy Eugene, Ore.

Unfortunately our Government was not so quick to honor us as it was to send us. It is shameful that the monument had to be funded through private solicitations. Worse is the fact that those who ran from the country were pardoned before those who died were recognized.

Roger E. Holman Pittsburgh

Defector Disputed

KGB Defector Vladimir Kuzichkin's account of Soviet involvement in Afghanistan [Nov. 22] is an extraordinary mixture of minor revelations mixed with half-truths, significant omissions, distortions and falsities.

His revelations that President Babrak Karmal was on the KGB payroll for years was common knowledge in Kabul. That Mohammed Daoud conducted widespread slaughter, that the Afghans were slaughtering one another and that the 1978 coup overthrowing Daoud was arranged hastily "in desperation" from jail cells are false and serve a propaganda line that Moscow has long promoted.

Nor did Hafizullah Amin emerge "from nowhere." Long the No. 2 man in the Khalq faction of the Communist party, Amin was the key man in organizing the 1978 coup and immediately emerged as the strongman of the Taraki regime. These and other questionable assertions would not have escaped the attention of any high-ranking KGB officer specializing in the area. One is forced to wonder about Mr. Kuzichkin's motives in making these statements. Rosanne Klass, Director Afghanistan Information Center New York City

Prophetic Warning

Like an Old Testament prophet, Deane Hinton, our Ambassador to El Salvador, confronted the oppressors with their evil [Nov. 22]. He got the usual response: instead of repentance, a hardness of heart. The Salvadoran businessmen deserve the destruction that is coming upon them. Leon Schaddelee Ben ton Harbor, Mich.

Man of the Year

Since the criterion for selecting the Man of the Year is based on the impact an individual has on the year's news events, good or bad, I nominate John Hinckley Jr. He showed how our judicial process allows a guilty person to be found not guilty. BillKlingJr. Huntsville, Ala.

Margaret Thatcher, who successfully concluded the Falklands dispute, is the outstanding political leader of the West. D. Hartnell-Beavis Ibiza, Spain

Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon for their attempt to eradicate the P.L.O., perpetrators of international terrorism. M. Roy Brenner Johannesburg

Pac-Man. Gerald Dodge Denison, Iowa

Jan Scruggs for initiating a monument to the Viet Nam dead and thereby giving veterans peace with honor. Robert E. Armstrong West Lafayette, Ind.

Bargain Boss

A letter in defense of the Los Angeles chief of police [Nov. 15] says he supervises approximately 6,000 police officers at an annual salary of "only" $98,000. In contrast, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff earns $57,500 and is responsible for 3.5 million men and women. He is the better bargain. Angela de Guttadauro Carlisle, Pa.

Balanced Checkbook

In your article "Living Beyond Their Means" [Nov. 8], you reported that seven states, including South Dakota, "could not balance their books" last year. South Dakota's budget was in balance last year, this year and every year, since our state constitution requires it. Steven J. Zellmer State Budget Director Pierre, S. Dak.

Bottled Up

The defeat of the bottle bills in Arizona, California, Colorado and Washington State [Nov. 15] is a victory for consumers. If passed, the legislation would have forced the public to pay much higher prices because of the slobs in our society. At best, the law could have eliminated only 21% of the litter, leaving 79% still lying along the roadsides and scattered in the parks.

Phillip La Russe Jr. Lower Burrell, Pa.

Although bottle bills were voted down in four Western states, it should be noted that the repeal of the Massachusetts law was rejected by the voters. Bottle legislation has never been repealed. Once enacted, it becomes more popular as people see how effective it is. Ajax Eastman, Chairman Citizens Against Waste Baltimore

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