Letters to the Editor
The Lane Collection Harry Burrows IlYian Thomas in America Alan Hunter Stalin and Montezuma Admiral Sir William James 111e `Spectator' on Eire Patrick Lynch (•aPricorn Africa Monica Fisher, Thomas Fox Pitt Cranwell College C. Ll. Griffiths What Kind of School ?
U Perplexed Prof. Alan S. C. Ross
SEALIN AND MONTEZUMA Ilt,-1"here is an interesting historical analogy ''elweett Mexico tinder Montezuma and Russia "Infer Stalin, Both were elected head of the slate by a small, all-powerful junta; Monte- /ulna was called 'First Speaker.' Both fellow indulged in mass butchery of their fellow beings. Montezuma 's predecessor on one 1,attious occasion slaughtered 20,000 men and ,9518, and though there is no reliable record of own achievements in this field, it is known that the slaughter continued unabated until Comes completed his conquest, Nevertheless it as Probable that his total number of victims ;ell short of Stalin's total. The 5,000 officers Ih'inchered before the last war were only a small ii,eg,i.nhing; it has been computed that during ,a"h's reign the number of human beings 'hirdered, starved to death or killed slowly in "leentration camps was about a million. It Montezuma had stopped the butchery, the ""Ple would have risen against him; Stalin's periodical purges had the same purpose. In tif 'exico the great cages were always kept full women and boys waiting their turn; Siberia the great cages were periodically Vlehished. Both rulers maintained large ,:snled forces, .for neither could afford to ■ it,ablial peaceful relations with neighbours. Ittezuma required a continual flow of isnners to replenish the cages; if the Russian rile became too friendly with their neigh- ,/?;h 's even periodic purges would not long /Tay the end of autocratic rule by the few. 6y their in their lifetime, both were villified „their worshippers within a few hours of Lir death. reonlie two regimes differed in two respects: 4ie in other countries looked with horror ontezuma's total disregard of the sanctity 4 Human life; Stalin's butcheries were tacitly i°Pe,111Y approved by Communists in other wi41! w",,rte,s. In this country he became an object n "I•shiP to a strange assortment of disciples ;rigging from a Dean and Professors to work- iiidumen who took their orders to disrupt our strY from hii •
The other
the 0. er difference, a minor one, is that fully ate their victims.-7-Yours faith-
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