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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, FEBRUARY 15, 1985
ON THE WORLD SCENE
MORE ON ANZUS--THE BIGGER PICTURE COMES CLEARER;
AIDS: AVOIDING THE MORAL DIMENSION
PAGE 5
At the moment, it appears that the rift between New Zealand and the United
States over the denial of visits by U.S. nuclear-armed or nuclear-powered
vessels will only get wider. In retaliation, Washington has cancelled New
Zealand's access to routinely shared top-level U.S. intelligence reports on
the Soviet Union.
Despite the step-up of tensions, New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange is
said to enjoy considerable public support for his "no nukes" policy. In ad
dition, he is under intense pressure from the powerful left wing of the
country's Labor Party to hold the line. In the small South Pacific country
there is a broadly-held notion that if New Zealand steers clear of big
power conflicts it might be one of the few places on earth to escape the
ravages of all-out war. This view has taken on new luster ever since some
scientists speculated that a post World War III "nuclear winter" might be
largely confined to the northern hemisphere.
(Other scientists dispute
this finding, claiming the entirety of the earth would eventually be af
fected--that there are no havens anywhere.)
This sentiment may appear to be tunnel-vision reasoning, but there can be
no doubt of the growing Kiwi sentiment to drop out of the East-West conflict
(but not to turn Communist). This view has been given added support by a
fair number of people who have emigrated to New Zealand in the past twenty
years or so, precisely out of a desire to live in a relatively unpolluted,
yet modern country.
New Zealand's policy, however, overlooks the bigger picture of the impact
the no-nukes decision could have on the remainder of the Pacific world,
threatened--whether Wellington believes it or not--by ever growing Soviet
pressures. An elementary fact of international relations is that "power
alone can limit power." Who will counterbalance the Soviets? Of course,
God could if any of the leaders of modern Israel would call on His supreme
power. But that, of course, is not being done. One does not detect any ap
peal to God but rather to "reason," "world public opinion," arms negotia
tions, or the United Nations. There is not an ounce of countervailing power
in any of these. Moscow smiles--and adds another aircraft carrier to its
Pacific fleet.
Analyzing the broader impact of New Zealand's decision, the February 11
WALL STREET JOURNAL ran an opinion piece written by Dora Alves, a special
ist in Australia and New Zealand studies at Georgetown University's Center
for Strategic and International Studies. Here are excerpts:
There is more at stake than the right of U.S. ships to use New
Zealand ports. (The U.S. has exercised that right only a couple
of times a year, mostly to allow crews shore leave.) ••• Anzus is
essential to Pacific security. The three signatories consult
frequently and develop personal contacts at every level, from
foreign minister on down.
The two Commonwealth nations gain
access to U.S. strategic thinking and state-of-the-art equipment.
The U.S. benefits from its allies' scientific discoveries, intel
ligence gathering and military-assistance programs to neighbor-