How to Treat Asia

I enjoyed your well-thought-out report "Welcome to the Wild East" ((ESSAY, April 11)). Since 1937, I have been doing business in the Far East and Southeast Asia. China was a relatively free country before World War II, until < the Japanese and then in 1949 the communists gained power. China's rulers have recognized the advantages of capitalism and with that realization comes a modicum of freedom. China, Vietnam and even Singapore still have authoritarian rule to some extent. The transition to a system of full freedom, as we know it, will take generations to achieve and will not be won by threats from the U.S. or other capitalist countries. It took many generations for the U.S. to legislate equal rights for its own minorities. Let us encourage total freedom for these Asian countries but avoid using the heavy-handed methods currently being considered.

Archer F. Moze

San Carlos, California