A Peace Pact
SIR,—Most people can sympathise with Mr. Richard Freeman's feeling of resentment and frustration at rearmament in the present extended state of our economy. But by now nobody can blink the unpalatable. fact that it is the only effective policy left. It takes two to make up a quarrel. As for a peace pact with a new approach, the U.S.A. and Britain have, in fact, made every effort to suggest a sound basis for disarmament other than the unsatisfactory Russian one (viz, no indepen- dent inspection, but a paper reduction of equal numbers on either side, the Russians having the start of four million already fully armed and equipped). Obviously the only disarmament that peace pacts and con- ferences can effect is disarmament of defence against the enforced spread of Communism. The only peace we can have from U.S.S.R. is the peace of submission to that imperialism. Does Mr. Freeman, as he seems to imply, really think that would be better than "beggary,"- or even war ? The democracies demand, not unreasonably, that Communism stand or fall on its own merits. The vast majority of all peoples—i,ncluding Russians—want peace, and their economies desperately need it. The greatest obstacle is the incredible anachronism of absolute power, and that there are still countries that have no voice in and no control over their own governments in their own interests. Stalin, backed by his secret police, is in power for life, no. matter how he rules. Can peace pacts or conferences do anything about that ?—I am, Sir, yours faithfully,
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