Thank you for a great story. It brought back memories. In 1956, I was a young American soldier stationed in Germany as a Morse code intercept operator with the Army Security Agency. My job was to copy communications in the Soviet countries but did not include decoding, so I had no idea what I was copying. But we were all aware of what was going on in Hungary. I remember some of the names in your story; revolutionary leader Imre Nagy, in particular.
KEN ATEN
Richardson, Texas
Scandals to Sweeps?
"House Afire" [October 16] was, to me, very depressing. I have never, in my 87 years, voted for the Democratic candidate for president. Deeply conservative, I find that I am nearly always opposed to their policies. But look at the Republicans and the issues: Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela. U.S. foreign policy is a shambles. We've already had Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, and Duke Cunningham. Now we have Mark Foley. It looks to me like a Democratic sweep next month, and I shudder at the thought. But where do I turn?
JOSEPH H. PAGE
Hillsborough, N.C.
When the Foley scandal broke, and the Democrats and the media began trying to link it to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, I hoped that he would not be removed. Sometimes there just aren't a lot of explanations to be made. Since when is cleaning people's closets the job of the speaker of the House? Does anybody believe that if Hastert knew years ago what he knows now about Foley that he wouldn't have requested his resignation? One person is responsible for this: Mark Foley. He wasn't censured or reprimanded. He didn't go into spin control to save his job; he resigned. If I could vote for Hastert, I'd be proud to do so.
ALLEN S. THORPE
Orangeville, Utah
Under a dark cloud of scandal, there are those who are lobbying to end the Congressional Page Program. It's taking an incident out of context and lowering the ax on something that is full of tradition and honor. I served as a congressional page in the spring of 1993. It was by far the greatest honor of my life. From my page experience, I gained leadership skills, garnered an understanding of the legislative process, developed character, self-sufficiency, and an informed worldview, and made lifelong friends who continue to be a positive influence in my life. We should not allow the vile actions of one individual to end a program that has meant so much to so many for more than 200 years. May the tradition continue to inspire teenagers.
JONI KIRK
Moscow, Idaho
Correction: The map of Cold War Europe accompanying "Revolution!" [October 16] should have indicated that Kaliningrad Oblast, just north of Poland, was part of the Soviet Union. Also, while Yugoslavia was not part of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, it should have been identified as a Communist country.
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