20 DECEMBER 1957, Page 18

ON-THE-SPOTNIK

SIR,—For the new Strix long-range weapon to be effective the gunner would have to be quite sure that his singular enemy was exactly 'on the spotnik.' He couldn't do that. But, in the same way that every- body's fingerprints are different, so everybody's scent is different. Every dog knows that. Now if Strix could embody this individual scent idea in his new contraption the tracer bullet would complete its joyous job whether the enemy was 'on the spotnik' or off it.—Yours faithfully, L.. E. S. LEESE Herne Hill