‘Halt Tests Irrespective Of Ban'—Diefenbaker

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29791, 6 April 1962, Page 11

‘Halt Tests Irrespective Of Ban'—Diefenbaker

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

MONTREAL, April 5.

The Prime Minister of Canada (Mr Diefenbaker) said last night that there should be no resumption of nuclear tests whether or not a test ban treaty and general disarmament agreement was achieved, the Canadian Press reported. East and West agreed that the world would be a better and safer place with fewer arms, and both knew what a nuclear war would mean, he said in a speech at a dinner in Montreal, at which he received the 1962 Histradrut Humanitarian award, given by the Canadian Association for Labour Israel.

“They, know how easily nuclear war could be sei off by accident or miscalculation,” tlie Prime Minister said. Mr Diefenbaker said that no substantial advance towards a test ban treaty had yet been made.

“But whether there is an agreement or not. Canada hopes that there will not be a resumption of tests.” he said. He praised the work of Canada's External Affairs Minister <Mr Howard Green) and the Canadian delegation at the current Geneva disarmament conference. They bad averted a premature stalemate—“possibly even a collapse of the conference”— and put it on a constructive course.

“This conference must lead away from the abyss of war,” he.said. “In doing so it must open new vistas of international co-operation, of diminishing fear, of the beginning of trust.” The Histradrut humanitarian award was presented to Mr Diefenbaker “in grateful recognition of his outstanding services on behalf of world peace and in deep appreciation for his efforts in fostering sympathetic understanding and good will between Canada and its people, and the State of Israel. . . .” The Prime Minister, recalling Parliament's passage of the Bill o f Rights he introduced in 1960, said there was no place in a democracy for discrimination on the basis of race or colour