"Better Ready Than Dead"
Sir:
Your cover article on civil defense [Oct. 20] is perhaps both a symptom and a cause of mankind's present retreat from the idea of the obsolescence of war in the nuclear age. It seems that both we and the Russians are indeed beginning to assume our survivability as nations after such a war—if only we dig well enough beforehand. This kind of mutual self-confidence may well help to bring on the war we seek to avoid.
JEAN LITFIN
Queens, N.Y.
Sir:
A national campaign to build fallout shelters should start...