Tribune and CND | Socialist Action 1983

This text was corrected by hand against the scan: transcribed from the scan of page 10 (reader report, 14 Oct 2026). 'The argument that CND has still to win' is the headline of Chris Mullin's Tribune article, reproduced beside the letter as an illustration; the letter's own heading is 'Tribune and CND'. The machine reading had mixed in pieces of three other letters on the page.

page 10 of the scan

YOUR editorial headed 'Tribune's call to arms' (SA 15 April) is grossly misleading.

You suggest that I advised the strengthening of the armed forces by the re-introduction of national service. I did not.

I merely pointed out that CND demonstrations — however impressive — will not by themselves convince the doubtful that there is a realistic alternative to nuclear weapons.

I then challenged CND and the Labour Party to produce for public consumption a credible defence policy that did not involve the use of nuclear weapons.

Conscription I mentioned as one possible alternative.

I went on: 'Alternatively, if there is some other way of mounting a credible defence policy that does not depend either on nuclear weapons or conscription, that too must be explained'.

During the course of the next few weeks I shall be inviting contributions from people with constructive ideas on the subject.

CHRIS MULLIN, Editor, Tribune