Soviet ships in Lyttelton

Press, 5 August 1985, Page 12

Soviet ships in Lyttelton

Sir,—l read with interest of the Japanese newspaper’s reporting the presence of Russian spy ships in Lyttelton Harbour this year. It would appear that the Japanese have only just found out what the Russians have known for months — that a rocket is being built in Christchurch, at a Sockburn furniture factory. — Yours, etc., S. R. SYME. August 1, 1985.

Sir,—lt is pathetic that the Japanese should warn us against Soviet spying. In the thirties, Japanese sketched and photographed our harbour installations, and I remember getting the treatment, now meted out by the media to opponents of apartheid and perversion, when I was in a group of young people protesting against the shipping of scrap iron to a nation already a cruel aggressor. But the Japanese now have no need to spy or buy scrap, having effectively won

the Pacific war on the commercial front, dominating Australasian industry and finance. The arch war criminal, Emperor Hirohito, was spared to allow General MacArthur to rule Japan and exclude the other Allies. He was sacked too late, and Japan’s buddies, the Americans, now dictate the laws we can have regarding our own defence. Our most likely enemy is Japan’s cynical “self defence” force. — Yours, etc. VARIAN J. WILSON. August 2, 1985.

Sir,—Your article on the visits of Soviet ships to Lyttelton (July 31) is unlikely to win you any prizes for journalistic excellence. In my experience a reasonably advanced ocean-going fishing vessel would normally carry the following types of antenna: 10cm radar, 3cm radar, satellite navigator, Omega, Loran, VHF, HF long wire, HF whip, HFDF crossed loops, VHFDF, in addition to the more familiar domestic ones such as television. You report “up to seven different types of antennae”; according to my count, the ships involved must be about three aerials short of basic minimum. I thought that the content of the article warranted about page 63 and small print. The headline status you gave it would have been more appropriate in a lower grade of newspaper, or alternatively withheld for publication on April 1. — Yours, etc., lAN H. DUFF. August 1, 1985.