Nicholas Winton, a true wartime hero and outstanding humanitarian, when there were very few around! ["Wartime saviour honoured", by Matthew J. Reynolds, Vol. 7 No. 36, September 24 - 30]. Where was Slovakia's own Schindler during Slovak Jewry's utmost hour of need? To be quite frank, he was unfortunately nowhere to be found.
Instead, Slovakia officially paid Nazi Germany 500 German marks per person to deport Slovakia's roughly 80,000 Jews, helped round them up, and sent those poor, innocent people to their deaths. What a barbaric and shameful episode in Slovakia's history!
And whereas the Czech Republic has recognised its role and responsibilities during this dark period, and is finally making restitution for at least the property stolen from Czech Jews, why therefore isn't Slovakia making some effort to do the same?
One would think that it's about high time that Slovakia did the right thing and began making amends for its sorry past!
Ralph Schleichkorn,
Montreal
