Dracula in Bonn
Sir: Thank you for pointing out (Notes, 20 October) that West German leaders and commentators' while criticising Ceausescu 's treatment of ethnic Germans
Transylvania and the Banat, 'have not said a word about his treatment of the Roma- nians in the rest of Romania.' In fact, hardly any Western leader seems to care about the 'ethnic Romanians', the great majority of Romania's population and the voiceless victims of their pseudo-Dracula and his regime. When some timid protests are made they mainly concern the minor- ities, especially the religious ones with connections in the West. While this is right as far as it goes, not enough attention .is paid to the persecution of the silent lions, peasants and workers, members of the Orthodox Church and of the suppres- sed Uniate (Greek Catholic) Church and other categories of subjects. Free Roma- nians abroad would like to see your in- fluential publication devote more space to their sufferings. One may add that none of Ceausescu's independent posturings, which you cite, bothers the Kremlin very much. Noll- Communist Romanians believe that there is a large degree of connivance between Moscow and Bucharest: the antics of this licensed maverick, while fooling some Pe°; pie in the West, help to build the image of Russia as a patient and tolerant great neighbour, an image she badly needs.
Horia Georgescu
36a Arterberry Road, London SW20
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