
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 26, 1990                   TAG: 9003262166
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

FROM BERLIN WALL TO `EUROPEAN WALL'

THE YALTA Conference in 1945 of the four major world powers redrew the map of Eastern and Central Europe, and the communist bloc was established. Strangely, none of the Eastern European leaders was allowed to be present or even to express their opinion; consequently, they were thrown into communist slavery.

After 40 years of struggle for freedom, the results of Yalta have been disintegrated. But with the euphoria of newly emerged democracies rapidly diminishing, events are taking a different course. Two major issues are being downplayed and disinformed by our government and media.

Poland, a nation of 40 million sharing a border with a neighbor with a dark history, at first was pushed aside as a participant in the so-called 4+2 summit. The once-Polish lands, claimed by Germany and re-awarded to Poland after World War II, have been a source of tension between these two nations. Ironically, the other three superpowers, especially France and the Soviet Union, strongly support the need for Polish presence at the summit.

The U.S. position that a united Germany be a member of NATO is a cornerstone of the next cold war. This kind of arrangement of military power in Europe is very clearly not acceptable. Polish Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki already has asked that Soviet troops remain in Poland, and so the other "bloc" is in the making. Money so badly needed for economical expansion will be spent on the means for destruction and misery.

We cheered when the Berlin Wall crumbled, but let us be aware that the new "European Wall" is now in process of construction. The picture is clear who the architect is. ZYGMUNT KISLUK NATURAL BRIDGE

by CNB