Nuclear ship ban

Press, 25 February 1985, Page 12

Nuclear ship ban

Sir, — There have been reports in the newspapers here about the decision of the Government of New Zealand to forbid entry to its ports of warships which might be carrying nuclear armaments. Although I am a stranger to your country, and a distant one at that, this action struck me as so important and farsighted that I had to write to congratulate you. Although it is unpleasant to say so, a review of the development and spread of nuclear weapons over the last 40 years, suggests that the chance of nuclear war is steadily growing. I am very pessimistic about any positive actions by the U.S. Government towards avoidance of this catastrophe. Should it occur, your portion of the globe, including Australia, stands the best chance of avoiding both the immediate nuclear exchange and the ensuing nuclear winter — but only if you keep yourself free of the contamination of nuclear weapons. No doubt the pressures on you to reverse this decision will be intense. I hope that you will resist them. — Yours, etc. DAVID ISLES Cambridge, Mass. United States. February 10, 1985.