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August 6th 1995

Shota Masuda
Keio Univ. ESS

Mushroom clouds will burst up everywhere, the whole world will cry out for help, and will suddenly receive the silence of Doomsday. Thirty minutes ago, World War Three had begun with a push of a button. A war that no one will remain to remember. A war that will end the history of mankind. This is a nuclear war which everybody on earth will be involved. Yes, no exceptions. Once this war starts, with nuclear missiles, enough to destroy every living things on earth twenty times, there is no escape. Fifty years after Hiroshima, August 6th 1995 is the day. The final chapter of human history.

Today, more than twenty-seven countries have the technology to create nuclear weapon. Ten countries already possess them. The United Kingdom, France, Israel, South Africa, Iraq, India, Pakistan, China, not to mention the Soviet Union and the United States, which possess the most in number. More and more countries will be able to possess, and if we don't do something now, the world will be full of nuclear arms.

For more than forty good years, the Japanese have enjoyed the riches of peace, and during the course of these forth years, the Japanese have forgotten the true meaning of war. Because of what seems to be an everlasting peace, I really sometimes doubt that World War Three will actually take place. Yet, I can never help thinking about the Holocaust that might come.

Last December, Secretary General Gorbachov and President Reagan signed a treaty on eliminating INF. Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces. The INF agreement will reduce one out of twenty-five nuclear warheads the two countries possess. And as Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze puts it. it was the first significant step in the long walk towards a nuclear free world. Also, we must note that two countries, for the first time in history, has reached an agreement on making efforts in reducing Strategic Nuclear Weapons, such as ICBM's by half. It seems that the talks had eased the strained relationship between the two countries. However, in the same time, the talks just proved the difficulty in achieving peace and freedom from nuclear war. I'm afraid that we still have long way to go.

We are human beings. We are not the owner of this planet. This planet belongs to all the living things in the past, present and future. We were never granted the right to destroy it. Ladies and Gentlemen, rather than act as destructionists, let us behave as the guardians of this beautiful blue planet. I believe that it is the duty for us to ban the dreadful weapons which we ourselves have created. For peace to prevail on earth, we must advocate a nuclear-free world. I believe the United States and the Soviet Union are aware of the circumstances, that they must do something about the nuclear arms. So now is the time for the whole world, not just politicians, to make every possible effort.

As for us Japanese, we should note that we are the only people who have experienced a nuclear strike. We are the only people who can tell the world the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is true that it was in the United States, that the movie "The Day After" was created. It is also true that the movie caused a panic across the country. However, it is also true that most Japanese felt the movie lacked in truthfulness and was a far cry from the real thing. All of us here have never experienced the real thing. But since we are Japanese, just because we are Japanese, we are able to tell more about the tragedy. Publications through the mass-media have its limits and can never persuade much. So what we should do now is to join the world-wide movement of nuclear disarmament. Join the mothers of Sweden. Join the students of West Germany. Tell the whole world what will happen even if a single nuclear-warhead is to explode. Stop thinking about making Japan a nuclear country, because just doing that is really no use. We ought to have a broader mind. In order to assure the safety of Japan, we must assure the safety of the whole world.

I'm afraid that we can never erase the two facts, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, from the history books, but we must prevent the next Hiroshima and Nagasaki from occurring. August 6th 1995, fifty years after Hiroshima, I hope this day will become a historical day. Rather than to see the destruction of the earth, I'd like to see nuclear weapons disappear from our world. Rather than to close the final chapter. let's begin the new one. A chapter named "Peace". August 6th 1995 can be a day not to forget. Fifty years after Hiroshima, free at last from nuclear arms. Fifty years after Hiroshima, at last there seems to be a future.

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