WHILE agreeing with P. Kaiserman's contention (Your Letters, Oct 30) that the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan may not have been necessary, one point Miss Rudyard made earlier is valid.

If I remember rightly, she wrote that if Germany or Japan had perfected the bomb first they would have used it on Britain or America, so incinerating millions of our citizens. Had they done, and so won the war, the media would not subsequently have been free, as it is today, to publish any criticism of the action. Certainly Jewish, Asian and African places of worship, or such things as Race Relations Boards or ethnic minorities, would not now exist.

Morally sickening political intrigue, manipulation and hypocrisy is world-wide and is not solely the product of Britain and America. The West does, at the moment, have freedom of expression, sometimes beyond sensible proportions in time of crisis, and offers aid to the needy in other lands, even while leaving some of its own citizens in need.

It would be encouraging, and perhaps arouse some of the national pride enjoyed by other countries, if some contributors to this page gave credit when credit is due to their country.

CEEAITCH, Prestwich.