Dear Editor

...Dear Editor Romania Stephen A Garrett's "The Lesson of Romania" (NL, April 4) was an eye-opener I had been under the mistaken impression that Romania was fairly liberal at home, like Hungary, so I am pleased to be set straight on that score Reading the article also brought to mind a personal experience with the eagerness of Romanians to enjoy Americans' economic cooperation Not long ago I was in Rome, checking into a pensione A Romanian businessman who arrived at the same time I did offered to share a large room I agreed, glad to be able to split my bill in half But when I went to settle up, my Romanian friend had decamped According to the woman behind the desk, he departed with the following words "The American will pay for everything " Washington, D C Charles West Uncivil War Robert Lekachman rightly observed that the Falkland Islands Review produced by a select commission of inquiry helped Margaret Thatcher's government politically ("England and America Transatlantic Echoes," NL, February 21) This report also rewarded the cynical architects of an unnecessary and mishandled foreign adventure By concealing the war's lessons, the British invite similar crises Argentina at one point offered Britain a long-term lease in the Falklands with mineral rights Thatcher rejected compromise and peace Instead, she squandered nato arms, scarce currency and hundreds of lives, generating and riding a wave of jingoism The fighting was not undertaken for the sake of distant, icy islands of dubious title, situated near the rival claimant, but for politics The Royal Navy embarked for the Falklands unprepared, was slow to arrive, and anchored during weeks of hopeless diplomacy The British also skimped on electronic defenses, deployed too few planes to protect exposed troop ships, and sailed through cramped straits within range of enemy planes During the fighting the RAF bombed Argentine air bases without putting them out of commission In addition, they failed to set up anti-aircraft defenses until after Argentine planes strafed the troops Meanwhile, former commanders back home publicly outlined tactics the Argentine junta could use, if it The New Leader welcomes comment and criticism on any of its features, but letters should not exceed 300 words bothered perusing the English papers Only Argentine incompetence saved the incompetent British from disaster Britain gained nothing from this escapade except an inhumane pride in routing starving, freezing Argentinian trainees Now, an unrepentant Argentina has replenished its Air Force And Britain must maintain large defensive forces in the area indefinitely Misconstruing their imperialism as a success, the British have exposed their uncivilized side New York City Richard H Shulman Guatemala "A Talk with Guatemala's Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo," conducted by Linda Drucker in your pages (NL, March 21), was a welcome relief from the ironpants rhetoric of the Reagan camp Wholehearted support from Administration hawks as well as plenty of private aid from evangelical groups and Yankee defense corporations cannot disguise the ghastliness of the situation m Guatemala The government of Efrain Rios Montt is praised for confining its butchery to Indians and rural dwellers Cerezo was most impressive in the way he communicated the unhappy reality of conditions in his country without lapsing into the rhetoric of the Left Especially incisive were his comments on the likely fate of Guatemala's Indians as they are exploited by the guerrillas and annihilated by Rios Montt's search and destroy missions New York City James Powers Cleveland How unfortunate for George P Brockway's argument that he chose Cleveland as an example of a town that has gone bankrupt trying to create a favorable business climate ("Eliminating Functional Unemployment," NL, March 7) The facts are otherwise Ohio's city of magic went broke when Dennis Kucmich, a firebreathing foe of corporate power, was mayor He was so intent on bringing the big bad banks and utilities to heel that he neglected to pay attention to the mundane details of running the town, keeping the Cuyahoga River from bursting into flame, and all the other tasks that go into being the local chief executive Next time Brockway should try to find a case that fits his theory Columbus, Ohio John Magill...