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Cause, or effect?

Sir,—The Wellington Movement For Nuclear Disarmament has done a fine Job in rousing the Wellington public to this very Important problem.

Finding a solution to this problem must be treated as a matter of urgency.

At the Ohio State University the possibility of accidental wars has been thoroughly studied, and a frightful list of possible accidents have been catalogued.

The "nuclear club" is now confined to four big nations. Its membership will undoubtedly increase. In time, the problem of disarmament will not only be made more complex; but also the bigger nations may be dragged into a nuclear war entirely against their will.

There are no concrete solutions as yet. But this must not deter sensible people everywhere from striving to find a solution. For a start, nations must promote better mutual relations and reduce mutual tension. Unlike T. M. Berthold (Salient No. 5) I say that International tension is not the cause of armaments but armaments are the cause of tension. If the world were to disarm, and there were no means for one nation to launch aggression against another then fear, suspicion and tension will automatically disappear. To promote better relations between nations we have to accept that there are different ways of doing things. We have to accept these ways even If we detest them, and learn to live with them as good neighbours. in a spirit of tolerance and understanding.

Differences should be settled by negotiation, not by war. Secondly, world trade must be practised more freely between nations. While two nations are trading they are not quarrelling, at least not very viciously. Discriminatory barriers, such as embargoes, tariffs, etc., must be removed and trade carried out on a basis of mutual benefit. Thirdly, exchange of personnel between countries must be increased, at every level. Misunderstanding is one of the main hindrances to better relations between peoples and the Intensification of personal contacts is a sure means of polishing away these undesirable frictions. And fourthly, honest people everywhere must take the lead in participating in genuine peace-campaigns, and join in with the members of the Wellington Nuclear Disarmament Movement in fighting for the complete abolition of nuclear weapons.

You may ask, why should we be friendly to the heathens or the commies, or open up our trade? In the past the alternative was war, and war means nuclear war. If a nuclear war comes, there shall be no winners.