Turmoil in Yugoslavia

In The Times’ editorial “Yugoslavia: Mediation Needed” (June 29) a U.S. official is quoted as saying, “There are no good guys in the Yugoslavian crisis.”

I am really dismayed to see such lack of knowledge and understanding by our officials of the history and recent background leading to the secession of Croatia and Slovenia. Why are the Western nations and our own government so adamant in supporting Yugoslav unity when it means that the newly elected democratic governments of Croatia and Slovenia have to remain under the communist federal government of Serbia?

Has it been only lip service on the part of the Western nations to encourage the overthrow of communist rule and choose democracy? What a sham!

Our government officials talk about the necessity of negotiations; don’t they know that there have been negotiations for many months, but Serbia and its communist leadership will not budge and allow a loose federation of states within Yugoslavia’s framework? Croatia and Slovenia have repeatedly said they will stay in Yugoslavia if they can have guaranteed autonomy. Our government does not seem to know that Serbia has always dominated the other nationalities by dictatorship. Recently, the Serbs blocked the Croatian who was in line to legitimately take over the rotating presidency. That is what is causing the animosities, not some imaginary “Balkan attitude.”

Is the freedom of Croatia and Slovenia to be sacrificed for fear that other nationalities in other countries might do the same?

HILDA M. FOLEY, Santa Ana