From the Editor . . .

Dr. Strangelove, I Presume?

"Probably an effort to reduce the global holdings of nuclear warheads to zero would be both unwise and impractical, but reaching a total far, far lower than 30,000 seems indicated as a vital first step toward sanity in the arms reduction arena."

Article Abstracts

The Psychological Bases of War

by Robert A. Hinde



“International war may cause aggression, but aggressiveness does not cause war. . . . Humans do not readily kill other humans.”

Bridging Gaps In the Study of
Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy


First of three extracts from the proceedings of a one-day conference held at Chapel Hill, NC, on January 10, 1998, sponsored by the Triangle Institute for Security Studies



“We have an increasing amount of evidence from archival research, interview research, and firsthand accounts [suggesting] that policy making really begins with public opinion. — Prof. Ole Holsti, Duke University.”

Ambassador Henry Grady and Indian Independence:
A Historical Retrospective

by Robert K. Olson

“[Gandhi] urged [me in 1942] that nothing should be done to prevent the invasion of India by the Japanese. The reason he gave was that the Japanese could do no real harm to India — at least no greater than what the British were doing.”

• Historian's Office Page Added to Department of State Web Site
• U.S. Foreign Relations Series Laos Volume (1964-1968) Released by Department of State
• Institute for Experiential Learning Announces Embassy and Diplomatic Scholars Internship Program