Disarmament

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 7

Disarmament

Sir, —Dr. Pauling’s meeting in the Civic Theatre on Sunday evening was sponsored by the Christchufch Committee for the Melbourne Congress for International Co-operation and Disarmament, and not, as you state, by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. A number of organisations were represented on- this committee. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament agreed to support the congress “on the understanding there would be an opportunity for the expression of all points of view” and worked on the local committee. Members of this congress committee met Dr. Pauling at the airport, and were responsible for the local arrangements for his visit.—Yours, etc., MARY WOODWARD. Secretary, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. November 30, 1959.

Sir, —It would be interesting to know what would happen to a Russian who gave a talk in Moscow on the lines of that given last Sunday by Professor Pauling in Christchurch. The minimum fate would be the next train to Siberia. The charge sheet, if there was one, would include “gross distortion of facts” and “subversive activities ” to mention but a few. Professor Pauling, when stating that there was no defence against the H-bomb, failed to explain why the Russians have compulsory civil defence in their country. It is a great pity that the Government has failed to educate the New Zealand population in the correct facts concerning nuclear explosions. Similar talks would then be a complete flop.—Yours, S. GRANT. December 1, 1959.

Sir, —My eldest daughter died at the age of 14 not so long ago from leukaemia. Anyone who has received instruction in the effects of nuclear explosions from properly qualified instructors who have no political axe to grind will know that the chances of her death being due to peacetime atomic testing are very remote. Nevertheless, just supposing this was so, I know that she, who loved God and the freedom which is his gift to those who deserve it, would count her life well given if it was in the cause of the maintenance of freedom, justice, and the true service of God in the face of the dark creeping evil of communism. All right-thinking people would rather die than live under enslavement. The big danger just now is that the road to enslavement is so skilfully camouflaged by certain individuals and organisations advocating unilateral disarmament (always, be it noted, on the part of the free world).—Yours, etc., ANTI-COMMUNIST. December 1, 1959.