What <i> Didn’t</i> Reagan Know?

It should come as no surprise to constant readers of The Times that out of some 50 letters received daily only one in 10 supports President Reagan regarding the Iran-contra controversy. (Letters to the Editor, Dec. 21). This approximates the number of pro-Reagan articles printed by The Times over the past several years. From the editorial pages to the comics (Doonesbury), The Times has been anti-Reagan. . . .

The so-called Iran-contra scandal demonstrates the collusion between the liberal media and the left wing of the Democratic party. The scheme is to topple the President of the United States and blacken the eyes of all who oppose the communist threat to this country and to the free world of which we are the titular leader. With the presidency under siege we can no longer lead. This means that the entire free world, and those who aspire to freedom, are vulnerable to the depredations of Soviet expansionism.

Already we have lost wars in Korea and Vietnam due to the failure of the American news media to support our nation’s efforts to stem the tide of communism in those countries. The press was duped by Fidel Castro as it had been by Mao Tse-tung when both disguised their communist ideology behind the facade of being “agrarian reformers.” Now Cuba is the primary exporter of arms and communist ideology throughout Latin America--keep your eyes on Peru, where Castro’s Soviet supporters are clashing with the Maoist Sendero Luminoso .

EDWIN O. LEARNARD

San Diego