BUDAPEST FESTIVAL SIR, —In his article International Youth, Charles Pickthorn infers
that the National Union 4 Students was unaware, beforehand, of the political aspect of certain of tEe demonstrations which took place during the World Festival of Youth and Students at Budapest. The character of these
demonstrations was made perfectly dear in a leaflet issued by the Festival organising committee in April. Copies of this leaflet were supplied to all British students who applied to go to the Festival under N.U.S. auspices. With them were sent copies of a statement issued by the N.U.S. Executive.
"The N.U.S. wishes to emphasise that, as a non-political organisation, it dissociates itself from all the political slogans, statements and demon- strations connected with the Budapest Festival. . . . Some students in this country may not be in agreement with the attitude to world problems which the organisers of the Festival, and probably the majority of those taking part, possess. For this reason it is important that members of the N.U.S. should study the leaflet issued by the Festival organising committee. At the same time," the statement added, " the N.U.S. Executive regards the Festival as a unique opportunity for British students to visit Hungary and to meet, mingle and compare individual points of view with some 10,000 students and youth from almost every country in the world. . . . It firmly believes in the educational value of students visiting other countries and of seeing for themselves how other people live. . . It is also important that the cultural activities and achievements of British students shall be well represented at the Festival."
These cultural contributions, to which Mr. Pickthorn did not refer, included those of a choir from Manchester University (which won an award as the third best cultural group in the Festival), a group of English folk dancers from London University, and productions by the drama groups of the University Colleges of London and Hull.—Yours sincerely, The National Union of Students, DOUGLAS MAYER,
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