The initiatives taken by your government to stop and reverse the arms race and particularly to prevent the development of new weapons have raised the hopes of humanity. The negotiation of a comprehensive test ban preceded by the withholding of further tests and accompanied by a willingness to consider new approaches to verification represents, in the view of the undersigned, the key to reversing the drift to disaster that threatens us all.
We hope that pending a considered response by the Western democracies, you will not be provoked to change your course by the refusal so far by the United States to resume negotiations for a comprehensive test ban, which is essential to end the arms race.
George Ignatieff, John Polanyi, Anatol Rapoport
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