Fears About Peace In Mysterious Book

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31522, 9 November 1967, Page 15

Fears About Peace In Mysterious Book

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, Nov. 7. A new hook claiming to be a suppressed Government report, forecasting that world peace might be a catastrophe, was a sell-out at many book stores in Washington yesterday. The quick-selling “Report From Iron Mountain: On The Possibility And Desirability Of Peace” was firmly disclaimed by the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, however, as one of its studies. “It’s certainly not ours,” an agency spokesman said yesterday. “I have checked a number of other departments such as Defence, and I am certainly satisfied at the moment no such study has ever taken place sponsored by the United States Government.” The book says that without careful planning the dislocations which would be caused by the absence of war and armaments would mean the end of the nation state. In spite of the official disclaimers, an author of books

in the field of disarmament, Mr Arthur I. Waskow, said that the book makes references to a report he did which was privately circulated in Government circles in Washington. Other informed readers called it a brilliantly-written hoax.

The Arms Control Agency spokesman, asked if any official study had come to the same conclusions as the book, replied: “Every study we have had done has stated that the economy could only benefit from peace.” Temporary dislocations could be made up by investment in other areas such as space and urban programmes, he said.

The introduction to the book by a freelance writer, Leonard C. Lewin, says that an unidentified professor of social science from a university in the Mid Western United States provided the secret manuscript to him.

The professor, the introduction says, was one of 15 who participated in a special study group which met at “Iron Mountain” in New York State from 1963 to 1966.