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SAIIA Neswletter No. 4, 1969

This newsletter contains the following articles:

The first article is the address by the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. H. Muller, at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, 30th October, 1969, concerning some aspects of South Africa’s foreign policy.

Anthony Harrigan’s article describes the challenge and response of nations in the seventies. Struggles fall into two categories: problems affecting security and problems pertaining to the inner character of a country. The external problems are world conflict and the emergence of new nations. Internal problems concern the need for countries to concern themselves with the idea of nationhood in the minds of the people.

Charles W. Yost’s article states that two elements are required for realism in international affairs: objectivity and far-sightedness. This leads to the following paradoxes: never before has the world had so many weapons and been so unsafe, technology unites the world, yet people are divided by national sovereignty, the gap between rich and poor is widening, and if humanity cannot control its triumphs, disaster will follow. Realism in national and international affairs should be focused on solving these paradoxes. Moving way from confrontation is the highest realism in international affairs, but cannot be one-sided.

Barry Brown’s article considers the importance of considering how long it has taken to reach the preliminary strategic arms limitation discussions that will take place in Helsinki. Both the US and the Soviets consider the negotiations as some of the most important between them. The first requirement is the political to find security down a rational road, and the author hopes that the willingness to negotiate indicate commitment to prevent a nuclear arms race.

The last article describes preliminary discussion between the US and the Soviet Union in Helsinki on 17 November on arms limitation. Final decisions are not expected from the negotiations; the goal is to find ways to organize a meeting to conduct wider and more lasting negotiations. The article describes the history of arms limitation from 1946 to the present, which led up to the preliminary discussions.