Nuclear pragmatism

The nuclear wrangle in the Pacific continues with Mr Lange sticking to his guns, the Americans showing some signs of learning to live with that piece of Antipodean domestic political reality, and the small island countries more or less leaving the New Zealand prime minister hung on his own hook.

Fiji, Tonga and some other island nations have all said that they will accept visits to their ports of American naval ships, and not ask whether they are nuclear powered, or carrying nuclear weapons.

Mr Michael Somare, prime minister of PNG, the biggest Pacific island nation, during his recent tour of Europe, expressed careful, slightly qualified, agreement with that line.

Reports of Mr Somare’s views drew a long and impassioned reaction from the deputy leader of the PNG Opposition, Mr Paul Torato, who accused the prime minister of all manner of sins, ranging from ’’seeking super-power popularity” to ’’betraying the security interests of PNG.”

But, that aside, the Pacific Islands generally acknowledge, and

accept, that they, as firmly-committed members of the broad western alliance are free because of the umbrella of American strength which holds the balance in the Pacific. The recent upsurge of interest by the Russians in the islands of the ocean has added sharpness to that point.

In other words, Mr Lange is free to hold his view, and take his line, because there is a balance, however heart-stopping, in the region and in the world. In the Pacific that balance depends upon the presence of American ships and other forces, with their nuclear weapons. If the Americans went home, as some seem to think they should, that would not reduce by one oar or dinghy, the strength of the Russian nuclear fleet, and air force, operating now out of Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, and on long-range sorties from the northern ocean. Rather it would strengthen it. In that event the opinions of Mr Torato and Mr Lange would cease to have much relevance.

But, it is part of the freedom we enjoy beneath that awful nuclear umbrella, that such views and arguments can exist.