Arms agreement

Press, 5 March 1982, Page 14

Arms agreement

Sir,—Why does New Zealand need to sign a treaty with America guaranteeing military equipment and supplies in times of tension or war? Surely at such a time the United States would be only too willing to sell us arms before we could turn to Russia for help. What under-the-counter deals are going on that this Government would further risk New Zealand becoming a prime military target? The voyage of Pacific Peacemaker has highlighted the military significance to the United States of the Pacific. Is the arms industry worrying about the loss of a good customer because of the increasing number of people wishing to promote the concept of nuclear-weapon-free zones and calling for New Zealand to be neutral? The treaty New Zealand should be urging is an end to the arms race and an embargo on all nuclear warships in the Pacific, especially the Trident. — Yours, etc., TONI DILLON. March 3, 1982. Sir,—The proposed agreement for the United States to supply arms to New Zealand in wartime shows two facts. First, that the leading seller of arms since World War II has signed up another potential customer. Second, that despite the ratification by their countries of the United Nations Charter, the present Governments of New Zealand and the United States regard war as an acceptable instrument of national policy.—Yours, etc., T. E. MILES. February 28, 1982.