650
whereas I would rush to assume
that one of the roots of the 20th
century disease is the over-prolifer–
ation of medical techniques and
medical drugs without in some - -
or by now is it in most? - cases
rudimen tary studies of their ulti–
mate effects.
In none of this have I men–
tioned once that the physical su–
periority of the Negro appears mos t
evident in the extraordinary num–
ber of Negroes who make superb
athletes. Let Irving Howe say that
the reason for athletic eminence is
because nothing else is open to the
talented Negro - I would suggest
he watch a few of their moves.
The resources of an emerging cul–
ture can sometimes be glimpsed ill
the passage of a figu re. (O r is that
,,"hat modern dance has been trying
to tell me all these years? )
Sirs:
The Czech weekly review "Lit–
erarni Listy," along with the Polish
"Po Prostu" and the Hungari an
" Irodalmi Ujsag" of 1956 ranks
high among those East European
publications wh ich, aiming a t re–
forming socialism after years of de–
basement and abj ec t servility, re–
stored to the p rin ted wo rd its
dignity.
The occupation of Czechoslo–
vakia by the armed forces of the
countries of the Warsaw Pact has
endangered the existence of the
"Literaturni Listy" so that the
board of editors has to take the
decision of discontinuing the pub–
lication of the weekly. A great
number of the staff edito rs and
contributors of "LL" were forced
to fl ee the country.
The monthly
cided to award
amounting F.F.
"Literarni Listy."
LETT ERS
Kultura
has de–
its literary prize
5.000.-. to the
In doing so it has acted not only
in its own name but also in the
name of a great many writers in
Poland, who prevented from ex–
p ressing their feeling of solidarity
with the Czech weekly and ad–
miration for its attitude, asked
Kultura
to be their spokesman .
The main in ten tion of this ges–
tu re is of course to crase, a t least
in a symbolic way, the shame of
the Polish participation in the ag–
gression in Czechoslovakia.
But there is a second aim which
,,"ould initia te a fund which would
enable the "Literarni Listv" to re–
sume its activities, for the time
being in exile, until the day it will
be possible to publish it ill the
country where it was born .
Je rzy Giedroyc
Ed itor, Ku ltura
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