Funding UN peacekeeping efforts

Your editorial "The Cost of Peace," March 16, makes several good points. There is no doubt that United Nations peacekeeping has become so successful that more financial resources are needed.

Why not allow contributions to a special UN Peacekeeping Fund by private parties, including multinational corporations?

There is much publicity about defense industries and their support for military spending by national governments. But most industry makes more money from peace than from war, so why not let these businesses contribute directly to peacekeeping? Contributions would have to go into a general fund (in order to be independent of particular peacekeeping operations), and the UN secretary-general should have the power to refuse any contributions which might endanger the independence of the UN.

If the national governments are too devoted to their own military establishments to properly support UNpeacekeeping, it is time to let private persons concerned about peace make their own contributions directly to a UN Peacekeeping Fund. Ronald J. Glossop, Jennings, Mo., Prof. & Coordinator of Peace Studies, So. Illinois Univ. at Edwardsville

Letters are welcome. Only a selection can be published, subject to condensation, and none acknowledged. Please address them to "Readers Write," One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115.