Security

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31092, 22 June 1966, Page 12

Security

Sir,—l enjoy reading the editorials, but I feel the one on security last Saturday rather missed the point. The point is surely not so much the damage done by an agent’s presence in the university, but the damage that might in future be done by spying on members of the public at university or anywhere. An unpleasant precedent may well have been set. —Yours, etc., J. S. TANNER. June 21, 1966.

Sir, —I disagree with “Civil Liberties” that “the greatest threat to our democratic way of life is a secret police.” In my opinion the greatest threat to our democratic way of life is communism. If the students at a university have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear. There is an old saying about “no smoke without fire.” And I think a certain section of the students bring the fire on their own heads by their very undemocratic actions.—Yours, etc., A.R. June 20, 1966. Sir,—Through my associations with the Peace Council over the years and also other left-wing organisations, I can confirm just how the New Zealand taxpayers’ money is being wasted on security. In these organisations we have had a sample of the type of person who is selected to pry into our affairs. Sometimes they even achieve a position as treasurer or other office. Sometimes they go to a certain newspaper and try to “expose” the inner workings of Die organisation after they have served a term in it. When Rewi Alley returned home for a short visit lately he was followed everywhere by agents. They were really busy recently when three Chinese Communists came to New Zealand. The information about all these matters would be gladly supplied to those responsible if they asked for it, but they prefer the C.I.A. methods.—Yours, etc., P.J.A. June 21, 1966.