DEFENCE AND DETERRENTS
SIR,—Professor Gibbs's contribution in your April 15 issue seems to me to be open to the criticism that it leaves unanswered these perti- nent questions : (1) Seeing that, as he himself says, an attack has an advantage over defence and a bombing over a fighting plane, is it not likely that the potential enemy will engage in a preventive war? (2) Will not the forward defence zone that he supports for its deterrent value, and the forward bases established in Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, be in grave danger of being overwhelmed at the first surprise onset? (3) Should not the conclusion on the
whole matter rather be that the provocative- ness of our defence preparations outweighs their deterrent value? (4) Is it not true that to be reconciled with the enemy will bring greater security than all the deterrents either existent or planned?—Yours faithfully, Berkeley, California, USA
CHARLES R. COLLINS
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