CANADA AND AMERICA

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28906, 28 May 1959, Page 21

CANADA AND AMERICA

Atomic Defence Agreement

(N.Z Press Association—Copyright) OTTAWA, May 26.

Canada and the United States have signed an agreement for co-operation in the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes, the Prime Minister (Mr John Diefenbaker) announced today. The announcement was made simultaneously in Washington. Mr Diefenbaker told the House of Commons the agreement was signed in Washington last Friday. It provided for an exchange of information in defence planning, the training of military staff in the use of atomic weapons, defence against atomic attack, the development of missile-launching systems, and research and development of military atomic reactors.

The agreement, expected to come into effect in two months, also provided for Canada to receive “non-nuclear” parts of atomic weapons systems “to" improve the state of training of Canada’s armed forces and their operational readiness,’’ Mr Diefenbaker said.

He said that the agreement would also open the way “for the transfer at some future time to Canada of military reactors and any special nuclear materials required for them.”

The reference to military reactors was believed related to Canada’s present study of the economic and military feasibility of building atomic-powered submarines or other vessels, American Associated Press reported. It was believed that a separate agreement would be required to cover the storage of American nuclear warheads in Canada.