March 1983

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May 1983

Annual Meeting - April 16, 1983 President's Message (Arlene Woo) Toxic Substances in our Lives League in Action: Planning & Zoning Committee Membership Introduced to National Security Study Announcement: "Dialog" on KHET Council Observers at Work (Dorothy Murdock) State Convention Slated for June 4 Solidarity Luncheon Membership Update Director Nominee Wanted (Barbara Farwell) Vote Count Volunteers Needed Calendar Corrections to Proposed 1983-84 Budget (Marian Heidel)

Membership Introduced to National Security Study Thirty League members assembled in the recreation room of the Ala Wai Plaza on Saturday morning to hear a most thought-provoking discussion of U.S. foreign an military policies. The meeting opened with a 12-minute video-tape presentation of a discussion by George Kennan, former Ambassador to Russia and Yugoslavia, and the author of the book, Nuclear Delusion. Mr. Kennan decried what he called our persistent and insistent tendency to talk about our conflict with Russia in military terms. He seems to feel that we are focusing our attention too much on military strength when we have such serious internal problems, economic and social, to be solved. He claims that he cannot subscribe to the view of the "iniquitous" Soviets and considers this an extremism that is not in any way useful to our national purpose. The video-tape was an excerpt from a program in which he appeared. The members of the audience were then invited to fill out a questionnaire which explored their perceptions and feelings of U.S. foreign and military policies. The main part of the meeting was de-voted to a panel discussion by some of the members of our National Security Committee. Rhoda Miller addressed the question, "How have U.S. foreign policy objectives changed or remained the same over the past forty years? " Marian Heidel focused her discussion on the questions: In what ways are current foreign and military policies an outgrowth or departure from past experience? Is containment of the Soviet Union a continuing priority in U.S. policy? How has the policy of detente changed in the past decade? Dorothy Gullicksen used the situation in Cambodia as an example to address the question, "How have U.S. foreign policy objectives been implemented militarily?" Frank Eldridge addressed four issues pertaining to nuclear arms: How have US and USSR policies fueled the arms race? What policy linkages have been developed in attempts to contain the USSR? What types of security assurances should the US provide its allies? How are US and USSR policies affecting Third World Countries? These discussions were obviously the results of intensive reading and research and we could have easily devoted the whole meeting to any one of them. Much effort must have gone into capsulizing their research into the brief minutes allotted each speaker. The appreciative audience expressed its interest in having one or two more such meetings before the consensus meeting on arms control in the fall. Those of you who were not able to attend the meeting are encouraged to read the reports which will be available in the League office. Charts, books and articles on these subjects were on display in the meeting room and the audience was invited to sign up for the LWV publication, Providing for the Common Defense: A Military Policy Reader. League would like to thank Donna Steavens for arranging for the use of the meeting room at the beautiful Ala Wai Plaza.

March 1983

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May 1983