BRITAIN’S ANSWER TO JAPAN

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28257, 20 April 1957, Page 11

BRITAIN’S ANSWER TO JAPAN

Peace “Depends On Deterrent”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, April 17. The British Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan, has told the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Kishi, that the peace of the world “at present depends on the possession by the United Kingdom and the United States of a formidable deterrent to aggression.” Mr Macmillan, in a letter dated April 10 and published today, said: “The United Kingdom deterrent would not, however, be fully effective until it had been tested and shown to work effectively.”

The British Prime Minister’s letter was in reply to a letter from Mr Kishi dated March 29. Mr Kishi’s letter was handed over to Mr Macmillan by his personal representative, Dr. Masatoshi Matsushita, who came to Britain earlier this month to appeal against the planned British nuclear tests near Christmas Island.

from the test area,” Mr Macmillan said. Mr Kishi** Letter Mr Kishi’s letter to Mr Macmillan was also published. It said that the Japanese Government fell behind no other Government in its aspiration to secure world peace, and appreciated fully the need on the part of free nations under the existing circumstances of the world to maintain effective means to cope with aggression. Mr Kishi said that he desired to make clear the “identity of the Japanese aspirations to peace with those of the British people, and thereby to promote the friendly relations that happily exist between our two nations.” Mr Matsushita, who arrived in New York today, said it was “politically impossible” for one nation to stop nuclear tests unless all the atomic powers did likewise. “If I were Prime Minister of Britain or President of the United States, I would not do it unilaterally,” Mr Matsushita said. “I would try my best to persuade other parties to agree.” Earlier, asked if he thought Britain would end nuclear tests, Mr Matsushita replied: “I got the impression in England that her relations with the United States are so close that it would be difficult for England alone to decide for herself.” Action By U.N.

Mr Macmillan’s letter said in part that Dr. Matsushita said that if the United States and the United Kingdom took no account of public opinion and went on with their tests, he feared that the Asian countries would be forced to take up a neutral position, though this might run counter to their instincts. Neutralism “I am sure that your Excellency would agree that it would be irrational for Japan or for other Asian . nations to take up a neutralist position simply because we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that our policy, which is based purely and simply on defence, has the necessary technical and practical backing to make it fully effective,” said the letter.

“The Free Asian nations themselves stand to benefit as much as the nations of the West from the protection accorded by this policy,” Mr Macmillan said. “I explained that it still remained the policy of Her Majesty’s Government to work for the abolition of nuclear tests at the appropriate stage in a scheme of general disarmament, and that they were still prepared to study any practical proposals that might bt devised for achieving the limitation of tests with adequate safeguards. U.N. Resolution “Meanwhile, we hope to find support for the idea of advance registration and limited observation of tests, which is in accordence with the resolution recently referred to the disarmament sub-committee by the General Assembly, of which Japan was a co-sponsor with Canada and Norway.” Mr Macmillan assured Mr Kishi that the special sensitivity of the Japanese people to questions concerning the use of atomic weapons was fully realised by the British Government. He reiterated his view that from the medical and biological point of view the radiation effects of the forthcoming nuclear tests would be insignificant.

At press conferences at the airport and after he had conferred with the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Dag Hamin ar sk jo Id, he said that Mr Hammarskjold agreed with him that the best way of reaching a solution of the nuclear tests issue was by action in the United Nations.

He would recommend to his Prime Minister that Japan, through the United Nations, take the issue of nuclear tests before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. He said that this was his personal view not the position of the Japanese Government.

Explaining the case for taking the issue to the World Court, he said that the procedure should be to bring the matter to the United Nations General Assembly. If the Assembly agreed, the matter then would be referred to the World Court for its advisory opinion under his plan. The question specifically which would have to be settled was that of the freedom of the high seas and whether it was legal to carry out nuclear tests there.

“Extensive safety precautions are being taken and J cannot agree that there will be any danger to Japan, which lies some 4000 miles