Internet game evokes mixed feelings

An internet game simulating the destruction of Lidice, a village in central Bohemia, by the Nazis has provoked a great deal of controversy. The ad agency McCann Erickson which created it received approval from the head of the Lidice memorial Milous Cervencl on the grounds that it would incite interest in these historic events among the young. On the other hand the mayor of Lidice Vaclav Zelenka and the Freedom Fighters Union have described it as outrageous and perverse. The publicity surrounding the game -called Total Burnout of Lidice- has further increased its popularity among the young. McCann Erickson says the number of entries daily have gone from an average 200 to 3,500.