BRITAIN MAY BE U.S. POLARIS BASE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29270, 30 July 1960, Page 13

BRITAIN MAY BE U.S. POLARIS BASE

Reported Deal At- Talks In Washington (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.)

LONDON, July 29.

America has demanded the right to establish Polaris submarine bases in Britain as the price of more British control over reconnaissance flights from British airfields, according to the “Daily Express.” The Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan, was likely to agree to the deal, the paper said.

Britain asked for more control over reconnaissance flights by United States planes after the recent shooting down by Russia of the RB-47 aircraft which took off from Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire. In return, America asked for the right to station submarine packs armed with the Polaris underwater missile in British ports. The "Daily Express” said the news seemed to be confirmed by the fact that recently, American newspaper correspondents in London had been told that Polaris submarines operating in the North Sea, the Baltic and the Arctic Circle, would be based in Britain. The United States Navy hoped the packs would consist of 45 atomic submarines each armed with 16 Polaris rockets with nuclear warheads. The missile has a range of 1500 miles. Details of the agreement had

been thrashed out In Washington yesterday, and were being brought back to London last night by the deputy Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, Sir Patrick Dean. Today, he and Mr Macmillan would study the agreement and consider revision of the 1951 Attlee-Truman agreement, under which American plandb use British bases. It was announced In Washington yesterday that Britain and the United States had concluded "satisfactory” talks aimed at improving consultation under the British-American air bases agreement. Informed circles said that what Britain had sought in the discussions was improved machinery by 'which a Government department would be brought directly into the picture so that it could give its views on the advisability of planned operations from American bases in Britain.