Letters

Kapitza’s arrest

Lyngby, Denmark

The Science for Peace BULLETIN just came and as usual I enjoyed reading it. In the ‘President’s Corner”, however, an unfortunate mis­take has been made. You say that “Kapitza was sentenced to deportation and compulsory labor.” Is this cor­rect? We saw him twice in Copenhagen: once in Age Bohr’s house about 1968, when he came together with his son and again in 1973, when he visited with his wife. At that time we spent a whole day with him, taking them out to Louisiana and Sletten. Surely he suf­fered under Stalin’s house arrest and strict surveillance, but lived to en­joy once more freedom of movement and communication.

However, I agree with you that the treatment of Sakharov continues to warrant the severest criticism and ef­fort to free him.

– Hannah Peters

My source was Sakharov Speaks by H. Salisbury. There may be no contradiction here: Kapitza could have served his period of house arrest and also been sent to compulsory labour. His obvious subse­quent release and rehabilita­tion with freedom to travel abroad again was what was not mentioned in the Salisbury book and is a welcome correc­tive thereto. Thank you for this important information. — A.R.