Needles In Space

Press, Volume C, Issue 29657, 30 October 1961, Page 3

Needles In Space

Sir,—One would think that there is enough rubbish in space to cause our one-eyed rulers to observe that hunger on earth should receive more attention. Take Tanganyika as one place with famine conditions, To a lesser extent New Zealand should wake up and withdraw from Antarctica, Malaya, and other vague and useless commitments. Mrs Locke could suggest a lesson in geography for Mr Holyoake as well. Formosa is not mainland China. This is a childish diplomatic delusion. It is still Taiwan on my atlas! Longhaired philosophers cannot complain at Khrushchev popping off super-bombs while American, British and French tanks are active along the Berlin border line. Someone could suggest they be replaced by tanks of tea and tins of biscuits. Mr Khrushchev is a realist and will continue his Guy Fawkes game as long as the West indulges in hypocritical rationalisations.—Yours, etc, RALPH S. WHEELER. Timaru, October 28, 1961. Sir,—Elsie Locke did say that scientists’ condemnation of the “needle belt” was universal. She now denies this. The needle belt is a reasonable defence precaution. It can have no aggressive value. But Mrs Locke catchwords it “military,” as if an argument can be concluded by saying. “But it has military value.” The needle belt may be “military”—so are Army socks—so what? She points out how the Nuclear Disarmament Society has made official protests against Soviet testing. What interests me is how some individual members have reacted. Some members, it seems to me. have used the society as a launching station (military term?) for their release of anti-American sentiment, and when it is no longer practical for that end have had to release their sentiments through other channels. Also a detail omitted in the heat of discussion is that it appears now there is no needel belt, anyway.—Yours, etc, FODIOR. October 29. 1961.