NO NUCLEAR WEAPON

Press, Volume C, Issue 29516, 18 May 1961, Page 14

NO NUCLEAR WEAPON

Assurance By Minister

(N.Z. Prsss 4s«octation)

WELLINGTON. Mgy 17.

“I am able to assure you, quite categorically, that New Zealand has not acquired any form of nuclear weapon and no approach has been made through overseas authorities for the acquisition of these weapons," said the Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre> today. He was replying to a letter from the Wellington Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament which has asked him to receive a deputation to discuss the Government’s policy towards nuclear weapons for the armed forces of New Zealand.

"The smaller guided missiles are, in effect, purely the modern equivalent of the conventional gun and consequently would only be fitted with high explosive war. heads.

"It is prudent for the Government to keep continually under review the need for maintaining modern equipment in its services in order to ensure that New Zealand men would not go into action with inferior weapons if the need should ever arise,” said Mr Eyre.

The Minister said that, as the Government was fully aware of the views held by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament with regard to the use of nuclear weapons by New Zealand’s armed forces, he considered a delegation to be unnecessary.