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During last year's Military Procurement Authorization Hearings, a Senator requested that a speech relating current defense policy to the Christian just war doctrine be inserted into the record. He was quick to note, however, that he agreed only with some of the speaker's views on defense policy, not with the moral principles outlined: "You won't find them in any-doctrine in any church; in fact, the Catholic Church justifies the use of force to protect life and property." Another Senator pointed out that the speech included the statement, "According to Christian doctrine the use of force to oppress evil can be justifiable under certain conditions," and added the caution: "I would hope the implication is not that under certain other conditions it would be wrong to resist evil."

In view of the agreement being pounded out for a test-ban treaty and the hope that we are entering a new stage of East-West understanding, it may seem academic at this point to re-open discussion of die morality of nuclear war. There are substantial reasons for thinking otherwise.The first is that the apocalyptic weapons which have driven fear into the heart of humanity remain present and poised for firing. Their number, in fact, continues to increase even as the peaceful effects of the understanding at Moscow move across the earth giving rise to men's joy and hope. Without discouraging such profound hopes, for which there are good reasons, we must nevertheless recognize the unlikelihood of a test-ban generating so rapid an agreement on disarmament that we shall see the great weapons removed and destroyed in the near future.