Turbulence

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31107, 9 July 1966, Page 14

Turbulence

Sir, —The annual cost of| maintaining and developing the world’s armed forces is of the order of 120,000,000 United States dollars. This figure is quoted from the U.N.E.S.C.O. “Courier,” November, 1964, and is based on estimates prepared in 1962. It is to be expected that this year’s armaments cost considerably exceeds even this vast sum. It is also pointed out that the cost of one modern bombing aircraft along with its associated weapons could provide the equivalent finance for 75 fully - equipped hospitals, 50,000 agricultural tractors, or one year’s salary for 250,000 teachers. Surely these

figures speak for themselves, and I heartily agree with Mr Bray that such an ill-balance of spending towards destructive ends would be infinitely better employed in raising the standards of living of so many of the world’s subsisting population.—Yours, etc.,

JOHN G. CLARK. July 7, 1966.

Sir, —When W. B. Bray mentions the removal of “the causes which breed hatred and wars,” a television screen intrudes upon the mind’s eye. If life and television were of the calibre of the recent programme commemorating Bertrand Russell’s 94th birthday, the life-expectancy of the human race would be considerably lengthened. If the word “war” could be wiped overnight from the dictionary imagine being forced to find reasoned, generous solutions to personal and world problems. How dull (?) and how demanding! Certainly television entertains us. We could give a child a box of matches because he finds it entertaining and insists on having it. The initiators of programmes are unbelievably unaware of the wealth of opportunity existing. Is it wishful thinking to expect that some of them could rise to a higher level of maturity than their viewers, and consistently present programmes that would help to halt the world trend of thought and divert it into constructive channels?— Yours, PINK GIN. July 7, 1966.