Security Service

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33776, 24 February 1975, Page 14

Security Service

Sir, — I doubt whether your correspondent, Robert Berman, could possibly be a New Zealander, judging by his comments on C.I.A. interference in the domestic affairs of other •■'ou •'tries (and also, presumably, the “Big Brother America” complex); on “misgu’- 4 - ’ conversion to Communism” (“Communist Aggression,” surely?); on "Hatred for South Africa” (what is there to like about it?); and on “foreign subversives” and “National secrets” (who, and what, may I ask?). I honestly did not think that anyone outside the United States thought like that any more, and I am certain that the Sutch jury’s verdict accurately reflects New Zealand public opinion of bo' 1 ' the Official Secrets Act and the S.I.S. Robert Berman talks of striving to keep New Zealand from being made “unfree.” The Sutch verdict itself must be considered a major victory for the cause of civil liberties: complete freedom of action, speech and association. — Yours, etc.,

BUCK. February 21, 1975. Sir, — May I remind Robert Berman that both the New Zealand Socialist Unity Party and the New Zealand Communist Party are perfectly legal political parties which offer candidates for election to Parliament and local bodies, but who, alas,

are seldom elected or even save their deposits. It cannot be justifiable for the taxpayer to have to maintain the expensive Security Intelligence Service (whose faceless members are not New Zealanders) to prevent “the whole country becoming misguidedly converted to communism or towards a hatred of South Africa.” The American C.I.A. has recentlybeen shown to lack integrity more than those it witchhunts. — Yours, etc., MRS C. February 22, 1975.