LETTERS

THE NEXT CHINA

Congratulations on your inspiring cover story on Deng Xiaoping, the heroic Chinese leader whose vision, guts, iron will and economic reforms helped modernize his country and ensure Asia-Pacific progress [THE NEXT CHINA, March 3]. History will remember Deng along with Emperor Shih Huang-Ti and Mao Zedong, statesmen whose human flaws should not detract from their many far-reaching achievements. Deng's success in reforming China has as its legacy Asian prosperity, free enterprise, peace and stability. WILSON Y. LEE FLORES Quezon City, the Philippines

Exactly what was Deng's contribution? Opening China to the rest of the world and creating wealth for millions of Chinese. Crushing a popular uprising and obliterating thousands of dissidents. Being part of the ruling hierarchy that was responsible for the death of millions during the Cultural Revolution. ANDREW BLUM Hurstville, Australia

Deng Xiaoping was a legendary man of transcendent genius whose accomplishments far outweighed his mistakes. Under his leadership, the Chinese people embarked on a gigantic modernization program and miraculously increased their productivity. Deng was an unsung hero in the battle to bury world communism. He challenged Marxist orthodoxy head on. His bold reforms triggered a chain reaction all across the communist world and set the stage for the decommunization of the Soviet bloc. JOHNNY Z.Y. WU Morrow, Georgia

Why are we celebrating a man who ruled like a dictator? China's leaders may come and go, but the oppression of the Chinese people lives on. Let us not lend prestige to evil. TOM DOWNES Encino, California

You mentioned the human-rights abuses in China without specifically citing Tibet. The attempt to destroy this culture continues. Until the government reforms its policies, Beijing will remain a power the world cannot love. BARBARA NICOL Sleepy Hollow, New York

The Chinese will prosper financially and spend their money in the more civilized world outside. But the haves in China will continue to exploit the labor market that they created and that the U.S. hypocritically subsidizes. CARLOS A. SANCHEZ Miami

China, with one-fifth of the world's population, has remained an isolated megalith. Japan, thanks to the persistence of Commodore Matthew Perry, went from an isolated country to a major power within 50 years of granting trading rights to the U.S. in two Japanese ports. China could achieve world economic prominence exponentially faster in the 21st century. China has been referred to as a sleeping lion. Believe me, this is one kitty we don't want to mess with! JON ST. JOHN Neenah, Wisconsin

Deng unleashed the awakening dragon of China, energized it with fire and showed it the way to the new world. The profound influence of what he achieved has yet to be fully realized. YI HU Northport, New York

Deng is remembered for his pragmatic reforms. Of course, his crackdown in Tiananmen Square will not be forgotten, but he proved he was right. CUNG NGUYEN Baldwin Park, California

Deng was a locksmith who successfully opened up his country. He was a savvy broker who shrewdly put Chinese labor and American dollars together. The passion that drove China to become a political slaughterhouse during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution is the same passion that propelled the country to become an economic powerhouse during Deng's open-door reform. It is this passion that has saved China from extinction but renders the nation so vulnerable and unpredictable. ETHAN HUANG Gaithersburg, Maryland

SPECIAL WHITE HOUSE "GUESTS"

During his tenure in office, the President is provided the White House, a national treasure, as a place of residence paid for by us taxpayers. If President Clinton and the Democratic Party are getting large sums of money in exchange for overnight visits to the presidential residence [NATION, March 3], I'd like to receive my fair share of the funds, since I have helped pay for the largesse at the White House. DUANE C. JOHNSON Medina, New York

My wife and I often stay at bed-and-breakfast establishments, where the husband, wife and sometimes the children pitch in to help. I hope Bill, Hillary and Chelsea will accommodate us when we have raised the several thousand dollars necessary to stay in the Lincoln Bedroom. Private enterprise--ain't it grand! BENNY C. WALLACE Tucson, Arizona

Now that the election is over, politicians inside the Beltway are performing their usual postelection charade about campaign-finance reform. What has really given them courage is a recent Supreme Court ruling that campaign contributions are a form of "free speech." Just think what one can do with a ruling like that! One can fall back on free speech when all other avenues of reform avoidance fail. I thought speech came out of a person's mouth or was included in a person's writings. To say giving a large sum of money to a campaign in order to influence legislation is free speech is to corrupt the meaning of that phrase. G. RICHARD THOMAS Naples, Florida

AIRPORT 1997

Barbara Ehrenreich's commentary on the indignities of airport security [ESSAY, March 3] was pure genius. It tackled the flaws of the system head on. It is very frustrating to wait in long lines and answer useless questions. How many people are going to say yes when asked, Are you carrying a bomb? This doesn't stop anyone. Instead of wasting our time, why don't the airlines send our bags through more quickly and update their X-ray machines so they will detect plastic devices like explosives? Even though it may cost a bundle, it will help catch terrorists. KARI GORSKI West Allis, Wisconsin

Ehrenreich is way off base in her criticism of airport security. Baggage checks and questions may be inconvenient, but being blown out of the sky by some fruitcake with a bagful of explosives or being hijacked by a nut with a lethal weapon is far more inconvenient. The Bill of Rights does not prohibit actions for the common good. EDWIN S. WILLIAMS Overland Park, Kansas

IF THE SHOE FITS...

Daniel Kadlec questioned why Reebok appeared on the California Public Employees' Retirement System's list of laggard companies [MONEY IN MOTION, Feb. 24]. He overlooked 12 reasons: the members of the Reebok board. The sneaker company's "lean years" landed it on the CalPERS list, and rightfully so: $100 invested in its stock in 1991 was worth only $122 five years later, vs. $232 for industry competitors. Sure, Reebok's stock has seen the light in the past 10 months, but this glitch hardly gives CalPERS assurance of the company's future long-term success. Our putting Reebok on the laggard list is as correct as the old adage: If the shoe fits, wear it. PATRICIA K. MACHT, Chief CalPERS Office of Public Affairs Sacramento, California

BREAST-FEEDING ARMY PILOT

Sure, the U.S. Army should let Lieut. Emma Cuevas resign from the service so that she can regularly breast-feed her daughter [NATION, Feb. 24]. I'm certain Cuevas and her husband will gladly refund to the taxpayers the $500,000 wasted on her training because she wants to break her contract three years ahead of time. But wait a minute! Didn't I just see the couple walking out of the 7-Eleven with a can of baby formula? MARTIN ZAKALOWSKI Washington, Michigan

I feel sorry for Lieut. Cuevas and her daughter Isabella. The Army will probably win on this issue, and Cuevas will have to complete her military obligation. I'm afraid the Army will have a tired, frustrated and resentful pilot, but it will have a pilot. The bond between a nursing mother and her child is stronger than anything I have ever known. I am a former U.S. Air Force captain, and I breast-fed my first son. Other officers may believe Cuevas is "selfish and a disgrace to women in the military," but I think she is demonstrating selflessness and courage. DONNA KRINGLER Midway Park, North Carolina

I am the mother of a 16-month-old girl. When Lieut. Cuevas was a plebe at West Point, I supervised her training. I can tell you that Emma was a whiner even then. I'm sorry I didn't do more to persuade her to leave the service. If I had, she could feed her child without embarrassing military women everywhere with her drivel. I guess Cuevas was my first leadership disappointment. JOANNE C. MOORE Captain, U.S.A. Columbus, Georgia

RECOVERING JEWISH ASSETS

Not only should Holocaust victims or their relatives have the opportunity to retrieve money and possessions [WORLD, Feb. 24], but they should also collect interest from the Swiss banks. And they shouldn't even have to mention the word lawsuit. SIMON HUCK Ottawa

Everyone should understand the role of records in establishing rights and legitimizing identities and liberties. The dramatic case of the search for Nazi gold is an excellent example of the value of records not only in documenting historical facts but also in preserving essential evidence. For us at the National Archives and Records Administration, the role of preserving and providing access to this essential evidence of history is at the core of our mission. JOHN W. CARLIN, Archivist of the U.S. National Archives Washington

You didn't mention the scores of people who benefited from the guarded nature of Swiss banking. The real story is not so one-sided as you would lead people to believe. WILLIAM R. HOLTZ Thonex, Switzerland