Journalists and the Kremlin

Thank you for your articles concerning Gary Thatcher's journalistic struggles in the USSR [Aug. 9 and 12]. Perhaps such encounters and the publication of them will lead to greater freedom of the press in the Soviet Union. Scott Higgins Oakland, Calif.

It is shocking to see that the Monitor, of all papers, would provide an accurate picture of the horror in Haiti and then claim in your report earlier this summer that ``Despite these problems, there are signs of progress'' [``Hastening Haitian political reform,'' July 25]. After all, religious persecution in Haiti is at its worst level ever. Only two days after the July 22 referendum, three Missionhurst priests were expelled from Haiti by order of the government. They had openly criticized the referendum over the church-run station, Radio Soleil. One of the priests ordered expelled, [The Rev.] Hugo Triest, was director of Radio Soleil. The station had to go off the air due to successful sabotage efforts upon the transformer and telephone lines.

Furthermore, the July 22 referendum explicitly called for prohibiting all religious and social organizations from organizing any political party. This would in effect ban the Christian Democratic Party and the Social Christian Party, the two most popular opposition parties in the country.

In June dozens of Catholic lay workers were arrested and possibly abused for refusing to join the ``Jean-Claudiste Movement,'' Duvalier's political organization.

On April 22, [the Rev.] Emile Joseph narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when a member of the ``tonton macoutes'' opened fire on his offices.

These and other tragic occurrences, some of which you accurately described in your editorial, should be condemned in the strongest terms possible. Allan Ebert Washington Office on Haiti Washington

My thanks to John Young, Hattie Clark, and the Monitor for the two articles on homeless pets, Aug. 29. Here on Cape Cod, hundreds of cats and dogs are dumped after Labor Day. The fortunate ones are left at an animal shelter, the others abandoned to a usually tragic end.

Education is the best weapon against this terrible practice. Kathleen T. Crocker Falmouth, Mass.

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