Forging A Link With Russia 1972

To foster a link with Russia, councillor Frank Waters of Athlone advocates teaching the Russian language in local schools.

School bus driver and councillor at Athlone Urban Council Frank Waters keeps a keen eye on local affairs in County Westmeath.

To foster a link with Russia, he is advocating for the teaching of Russian in Westmeath schools. He has made this proposal to the Westmeath Vocational Education Committee in Mullingar.

Frank Waters reckons the people of Atholne want a link with Russia as in his view,

There's nothing wrong with the Russians.

Frank Waters considers any fears regarding the rise of communism are overblown,

I’m a Roman Catholic myself I couldn’t care two hoots about the communists.

Ireland has trade links with Russia and Frank Waters has been fishing with some of the Russians delegates,

I found them to be very nice.

If students in Westmeath learned Russian it could benefit the area by attracting Russian industry. Russia could also benefit from trade with Ireland as,

I do know that we export a lot of stuff to the Iron Curtain countries.

Frank Waters would like to see Ireland thinking internationally and learning the Russian language is a step in this direction.

This episode of 'Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’ was broadcast on 24 May 1972. The reporter is Frank Hall.