BIG COLD WAR, LITTLE HOME FRONT

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29330, 8 October 1960, Page 12

BIG COLD WAR, LITTLE HOME FRONT

(Bu WHIM WHAM) One ol Ibe most famous Russian military theoreticians, MajorGeneral Nikolai Talensky. has predicted that up to 600.000.fi00 million people might die in a nuclear war (ought by Russia. Europe and the United States.—News Item The New Zealand Army had staggering surpluses ot millions ot pounds worth ot military gear . . hundreds ot thousands ot pounds worth ot car parts tor 1936-3 S models . . seeking bids for more than 48.000 unused pairs of khaki drill trousers.—The Minister of Defence, Mr Connolly in the House ol Representatives. Major-General Talensky’s Figures could be correct To the nearest 100,000,000, I expect. This is nuclear War as our trembling World now faces it. And there’s no Region you can call safe unless Space is it. Whole Continents can count their Chances of Survival In Minutes between a Missile’s Departure and Arrival. One Signal on a Screen, one Finger pressing Button A, And what’s Gone Tomorrow will exactly equal what’s Here Today. As Walter keeps on telling Us, the Question is whether The Nations can find some Way of living, not dying, together. When rude Mr K. thumps the Table and makes People Jump, Perhaps we’re ALL lucky that he’s still got a Table to thump; And that if Nowhere-in-particular is where the next Speech leads. There are circumstances in which Words are better than Deeds. There are Walls in Manhattan on which I wouldn’t mind chalking, “For Heaven's sake don’t DO anything, just keep on talking!” Meanwhile, on \the Home Front, New Zealand can only try Its best to keep its Pinch of Powder dry,. Concentratin/ upon such urgent and essential Problems relating to the Nation’s military Potential As, e.g., the expeditious Disposal of Surplus Stores, Those venerable Car Parts, Garments that a modern War’s Heroes wouldn't be seen dead in . . . Sir, this may seem Like an illogical Deviation from my Theme, But if you gave Me those 48,000 cast-off Pairs Of Khaki Drill Pants, which Nobody cares To see cluttering up the Quartermaster’s Store so I'd give the Lot in the Interests of international Peace and Decency, to CORSO.