The Cossacks
Sir: It is disingenuous for Nicholas Bethell (25 February) to cite a handful of victimised Cossacks as typical of the majority who were traitors and enthusiastic collaborators in the Nazi murder of fellow Russians and of Jews in particular. The murder of Jews has been a familiar Cossack pastime for at least three hundred years. To justify the Cossack treachery to their nation as both justified by their hatred of Communism and excusable by their ignorance is logically incansistent and morally unjustifiable.
In this country, William Joyce was not exonerated for treachery by his political principles then, and Burgess and Maclean are not exonerated now. The Russians who formed a unit of the Nazi army knew what they were doing and loved what they did. Their record of murder is recorded in Reitlinger's Final Solution, and General Vlasov, their commander, was praised by Goebbels for his dedication to the cause. Statues to the memory of these murderers would be a final insult added to the injuries they have perpetrated.
Henry Adler 3 Roland Gardens, London SVV7
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