FRENCH BOMB TESTS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29071, 7 December 1959, Page 11

FRENCH BOMB TESTS

Admiral Defends Plans

(Neu; Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON, December 6. “Monster” was the description given the first French atomic bomb, but was it any more a monster than the first American or the first British bomb? The question was posed in Hamilton by Rear-Admiral Jules C. Evenou, Commander-in-Chief of the French forces in the Pacific, in the course of an interview. No-one objected when America and Britain produced their weapons, he said. Why should there be such objection when France desired to arm herself with the weapon, to study the new power and to build up an atomic energy industry for peaceful uses? But Rear-Admiral Evenou did not think that there was any immediate danger of atomic war in the Pacific. Possessions in this area were far-flung, and cities were generally ol small population. Use of such an expensive weapon would hardly be warranted, to hit such small industries and towns. “Submarines are the weapon of future war, if it comes, in this area.” he said. “Unless we prepare our anti-submarine strength we will be like rabbits sitting and discussing the merits of the latest repeating rifle. “South-east Asia is now the soft underbelly of the United Nations. We must keep a watchful eye on events in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaya, and the I Indo-Chinese border. “Then there is the problem of the 600 million Chinese in the I north, and the Russian Pacific ' seaboard. “We must be ready to react immediately to contain a small conflict, and not allow it to develop into something big,” said Rear-Admiral Evenou.