/LMAR=0/XLINE=3/FONT#0=BASL30/FONT#1=BASI30/FONT#2=BASB30/FONT#3=STA200/FONT#4=NGB25
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305
␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 	ISeptember 15, 1976




␈↓ ↓H␈↓Editor:
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓↓New York Times␈↓
␈↓ ↓H␈↓229 West 43d St.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓N.Y. 10036

␈↓ ↓H␈↓To the Editor:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Bernard␈α
Feld's␈α
and␈α∞Victor␈α
Weisskopf's␈α
self-congratulatory␈α
Op-Ed␈α∞article␈α
about␈α
the␈α∞role␈α
of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓scientists␈α
in␈α≡ghting␈α
the␈αaccumulation␈α
of␈α
nuclear␈αweapons␈α
shows␈αthat␈α
they␈α
still␈αhave␈α
their␈αheads␈α
in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the sand about the causes of the present danger of nuclear proliferation.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈αpresent␈α
danger␈αis␈α
that␈αcertain␈α
countries,␈αe.g.␈α
South␈αKorea,␈α
Taiwan,␈αIsrael,␈αSouth␈α
Africa,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and␈αpossibly␈αPakistan␈αhave␈αbeen␈αput␈αinto␈αa␈αsituation␈αin␈αwhich␈αtheir␈αbest␈αchance␈αof␈αsurvival␈αis␈αto
␈↓ ↓H␈↓develop␈αindependent␈α
nuclear␈αdeterrents.␈α
 This␈αsituation␈α
has␈αbeen␈α
brought␈αabout␈α
by␈αthe␈αcollapse␈α
of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α
unilateral␈α
U.S.␈α
guarantee␈α
and␈α
the␈αunwillingness␈α
of␈α
Western␈α
Europe,␈α
Japan,␈α
Australia␈αand␈α
New
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Zealand␈α∩to␈α∪take␈α∩part␈α∩in␈α∪any␈α∩genuine␈α∪collective␈α∩security␈α∩arrangement␈α∪involving␈α∩any␈α∪of␈α∩these
␈↓ ↓H␈↓countries.  When the policeman quits everyone must defend himself as best he can.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Of␈α
course,␈αan␈α
ordinary␈α
American␈αcan␈α
have␈α
no␈αcertain␈α
knowledge␈α
that␈αany␈α
of␈αthese␈α
countries
␈↓ ↓H␈↓has␈α⊃a␈α⊃nuclear␈α⊂weapons␈α⊃program.␈α⊃ However,␈α⊃were␈α⊂I␈α⊃a␈α⊃citizen␈α⊃of␈α⊂any␈α⊃of␈α⊃them␈α⊃who␈α⊂considered
␈↓ ↓H␈↓national␈α
independence␈α
worth␈α
preserving,␈α
I␈α
would␈α
feel␈α
that␈α
my␈α
country␈α
has␈α
as␈α
much␈α
right␈α
as␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓U.S.␈α∂to␈α∞a␈α∂nuclear␈α∞deterrent.␈α∂ Moreover,␈α∞I␈α∂would␈α∞consider␈α∂worthless␈α∞any␈α∂promises␈α∂Kissinger␈α∞and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Ford␈αmight␈αmake␈αas␈αlong␈αas␈αso␈αmany␈αAmericans␈αoppose␈αassistance.␈α The␈αother␈αside␈αof␈αKissinger's
␈↓ ↓H␈↓policy␈α∞-␈α∂threatening␈α∞withdrawal␈α∂of␈α∞the␈α∂little␈α∞aid␈α∂we␈α∞are␈α∂giving␈α∞if␈α∂they␈α∞go␈α∂nuclear␈α∞-␈α∂won't␈α∞work
␈↓ ↓H␈↓either unless carried to the extreme of helping their enemies conquer them.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈αreal␈αproliferation␈αwill␈αstart␈αwhen␈αone␈αof␈αthese␈αcountries␈αis␈αseen␈αto␈αpreserve␈αits␈αexistence
␈↓ ↓H␈↓by demonstrating a deterrent.  Then every country's o≠cers will demand their own.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈α
only␈α
solution␈αseems␈α
to␈α
be␈αgenuine␈α
collective␈α
security.␈α
 Achieving␈αit␈α
may␈α
require␈αthe␈α
U.S.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓to␈α⊂threaten␈α⊃Europe␈α⊂and␈α⊃Japan␈α⊂with␈α⊃a␈α⊂withdrawal␈α⊂of␈α⊃U.S.␈α⊂protection␈α⊃unless␈α⊂they␈α⊃help␈α⊂protect
␈↓ ↓H␈↓others.


␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sincerely,



␈↓ ↓H␈↓John McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Director
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Professor of Computer Science