NUCLEAR FREEZE AND NUCLEAR SANITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100130025-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2010
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: April 5, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP
ARTICLE AVTP'ris, 7NcD THE BALTIMORE SUN
t n~ ``` 5 April 1983
Letters to the Editor
)0-00806R0001 00130025-9
Nuclear Freeze and Nuclear Sanity
Editor: The Sun's March 18 editorial, "Over-
kill," describing the nuclear freeze resolution as a
"simplistic. emotional, highly politicized" congres-
sional act is indeed "simplistic, emotional" and
"highly politicized."
The Sun claims that "objectives consistent with
the maintenance of essential equivalence is what the
long negotiations are all about." Many doubt this is
the goal of the administration, in view of the firing
of Eugene Rostow for trying to reach agreement
with the Soviets, in view of Rowny's "hit list" of peo-
ple with the same motives, in view of the nomination
of the neophyte Kenneth Adelman when, as Senator
Mathias so aptly pointed out in voting against his
nomination. the president, his security advisor, and
the secretary of state are also neophytes in this field.
The Sun's editoral states, "Any negotiation of a
verifiable [freeze) agreement could be as complicat-
ed as talks of reductions and limitations." This is dis-
puted by such knowledgeable figures as retired Ad-
miral Noel Gaylor. former head of the National Se-
curity Agency; William Colby, former head of the
CIA: Robert McNamara, former Secretary of De-
fense: George Kennan, former ambassador to Russia
and distinguished analyst of Soviet affairs: Fritz
Mondale. former vice president; and our own Sena-
tor Sarbanes. no slouch in the brains and savvy area.
The idea that "obsolete weapons vulnerable to a
first strike are the most 'destabilizing' because they
undercut the credibility of,the deterrent" brings up.
the old Reagan chestnut tha.; the U.S. is "behind" the
U.S.S.R. in that' its weapons are "old" and those of
the Soviets are "new," and they have more of them.
The Sun's editorial wonders whether it is "really
wise to give greater priority to the freezing of pres-
ent nuclear inventories than to pushing for reduc-
tions." Do the people who control the editorial policy
of this paper seriously believe the present adminis-
tration is pushing for reduction?
The Sun goes on to deplore "the marchers, the
protesters and the mass-mail promoters" trying "to
preempt the role of deliberative legislation." What
does The Sun think is the answer to the lobbying of
weapons manufacturers, who make'more from mill- "
tary production than civilian production? How do the.
senators from Lockheed and Boeing, the secretary of
defense from General Dynamics, and T. K. Jones
from Boeing promote "more deliberative legisla-
tion?" Do they not "block more hopeful paths to nu-
clear sanity?"
Perhaps it is significant that when the Defense
Department in December asked reporters to sign a
secrecy agreement before attending a briefing about
Soviet military capabilities, an agreement which re-
quired the journalists to report to the Pentagon any
effort made by others to obtain the sensitive infor-
mation, the New York Times refused to send a cor-
respondent to the briefing because of the restrictive
conditions. Others left the briefing. The representa-
tives of The Sun stayed. Once again, "We wonder!"
Margaret Ries Brown.
Baltimore.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100130025-9