(iii) Omega

On the basis of the cliche "A picture is worth a thousand words" I enclose a "letter" on the subject of Israeli militarism which I feel is worth a few hundred, at least.

My second letter is of more conventional form and was provoked by the item "Omega Story Corrections" of the October 3 edition. I read the letter of B. Jones and, as you imply, his claims are not wholly true.

In the highly reputable McGraw-Hill publication, "Electronics", a periodical concerned with the US electronics industry, the December 1967 edition, in the section "Washington Newsletter" is an article headed—"Pentagon Anchors Navy's Omega". The entire article reads as follows:—

"Navy officials seeking the Pentagon's go ahead for full-scale deployment of the Omega navigation system got the answer they were afraid of getting: approval, but no funding to implement it. As expected (Electronics, Oct. 16, p 69), the Defence Department's reasons were based on the crackdown on non-Vietnam military spending. And the Navy is pessimistic about getting any funds in the fiscal 1969 budget to turn its limited research and development system into an operation worldwide navigation network.

"The Pentagon told the Navy it could give Omega's four present transmitters "operational status"—whatever that means. As one Navy project officer put it: "Your guess is as good as mine". They very low-frequency transmitters, though officially listed as R & D installations, actually have been operational for more than a year.

"Had the Pentagon gone along with full-scale deployment, the Navy planned to double the power of the transmitters and add other equipment at these four sites. It also would have built four more transmitters. The way things stand now, the Navy says it would welcome an offer by any other nation to build the transmitters."

I submit that this article clearly and authoritatively shows that Omega is military.

I make one further quotation from the same publication, though I am unable to judge its significance.

"Registered US Patent Office; copyright 1867 by McGraw-Hill Inc. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce the contents of this publication in whole or in part."