Defense Downsizing

Regarding Hughes’ and now Northrop Grumman’s decisions to downsize their work force as well as their business potential (Sept. 23): When are the defense industries going to realize that their future lies in marketing products to the consumer, not to the bloated Pentagon bureaucracy?

Japan during the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s got rich, filthy rich, by engineering, manufacturing and marketing a better automobile, stereo, television, VCR and Walkman, while our best engineering minds (Hughes, Northrop) were developing bombs, bombers and weapons delivery systems. Get a clue! Diversify! Don’t put those brilliant scientific and engineering minds in the unemployment line, put them into R&D; for the next generation of consumer goods.

BRYAN HAYS

Saugus