ABSTRACT
The idea of controlling the weapons of war has a strong appeal in today’s world, troubled by insecurity, tension and, indeed, the threat of annihilation. International forums for negotiating arms control already exist or can be quickly created. What seems to be lacking is effective domestic mechanisms for harmonizing arms control strategies, as formulated by politicians, with national security requirements, as postulated by the military. While weapons of mass destruction understandably deserve the highest priority, the problem of conventional armaments must not be ignored. In fact, considerably larger resources are spent on conventional arms than on nuclear and chemical arms combined. Proposals have been put forward for reducing military expenditures. Such a measure would certainly be beneficial to slowing the arms race if the difficulties of measurement, comparability and verification were overcome, and provided that reductions were substantial. Greater openness in military matters may remove some of the fears and misconceptions that develop under conditions of secrecy.
