Security bill

Press, 19 October 1977, Page 20

Security bill

Sir, — It seems to me that most people have very short memories. During this disturbing fuss over the S.I.S. debate, I have been harking back to before the Second World War, when the Japanese came to our shores, and quite legitimately bought all our scrap metal, to make guns and other weapons of war, to kill or maim our own countrymen. For many years now, we have been surrounded by Japanese and Russian fishing boats, purportedly "fishing” but, for what else. Who knows? We must depend on a few honest men at the top, to know what is really going on in our country, or else the enemy would soon find out our secrets. Only those whose deeds are dark, need to fear their phones being tapped and their mail opened. — Yours, etc., (MRS) ETHEL SOTHERAN. October 18, 1977.

Sir, — What is urgently needed in this country is a complete revision of priorities for having a security service. My opinion is that it should be returned to the Minister of Police and operated as a special branch of the police as it was before 1959. The 5.1.5., in its present form, has its prototype in the C.I.A. Both lurk in the shadows of fear of a Red threat — either from a foreign source or from within. The Prime Minister should publicly state which foreign powerfs) and groups of individuals constitute a threat to our security at the present time. I do not support the S.I.S, Act amendement, and think that the security service should be abolished in its present form. — Yours, etc., PETER LOVE. October 17, 1977.