Peace Nowso, Wovember 29th,carried the following reports
Last weekend's congross st Islington Town: Hall on the theme of "Dreakthrough to Disarmament", organised by a body closely connected with the British Peace Committee, tock little advantage of the present mood in the peace movement or of the current political situation to discuss details of how tho breakthrough could be brought about, The most precise proposals made to it were that delegates should send postcards to the British China Friendship Association asking for the entry of China into the TN and to the British Government asking for .the recopritiion of East Germany. The finally agreed policy statement differed only from the draft (presented to delegates within an hour of thoir arrival at the hall) on one point of sutotanee = the deleticn of any reference to Polaris and the: mixed=-mannoed force,
Attempts made by some CND delegates to amend the final draft so that it included reference to the importance of uniletoral initiatives were frustrated, not ty the Congress itself, but by the Conference Arrangements Committee, and the decision was defended by the platform firstly on the grounds that organisations were present that were not unilateralists and later that unilateraliaen was being used by the enemies of the peace-moven— ent. Finally, the Hon, Ivor Mcntague came to the rostrum to support the Committee!s action by apparently accusing the amendment of attempting to depriva nations of the right to be free, This was followed by prolonged applause. Despite the circulation of the Nusk-—Zorin agreed principles for Disarmament which was sent to delegates beforehand, there was no attenpt to discuss then,
The overall impression was that of a conference attemtping to secure paper unity at any price and failing to achiove anything worthwhile other than a cosy togetherness marred by dissatisfaction of those dolegates who met the apparatis of self-appointed preparatory committces, previously prepa.red lists of speakers and the working of a Conference “irrangoments" Committee for the first timesessesas