POLARIS COSTS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30043, 30 January 1963, Page 11

POLARIS COSTS

“U.K. Must Pay Share”

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) WASHINGTON, Jan. 28.

Britain will have to share Polaris missile development costs just as the United States is helping to develop a new British jet fighter, a Government official said today. A Defence Department spokesman said it would be basic policy in selling weapons to United States allies that "the sales price represents as little of a ride as possible.” The Defence Department’s spokesman’s reference to a

“ride” meant that United States allies would have to share in the heavy research and development costs of complicated new weapons. U.P.I. said. He said the Defence Secretary (Mr McNamara) had declared that the United States would not subsidise any of the costs of the new Polaris missile systems which Britain now plans to use in British-built submarines. The spokesman pointed out that the Un:ted States was helping in the cost of the British Hawker P 1127 vertical take-off and landing fighter plane, as well as two versions of the plane’s jet engine.

Earlier, the White House press secretary, Mr Pierre Salinger, refused comment on reports that a British-Ameri-can misunderstanding bad developed over the Polaris agreement reached at Nassau.

Mr Salinger said any comment would come from the Defence Department, but added that the “matter is under discussion between the Defence Department and the Defence Ministry of Great Britain.”

s|in Of Rain In Melbourne

(K-Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) MELBOURNE, Jan. 29. Melbourne mopped up today after s%in of rain in 24 hours.

Hundreds of suburban homes were still flooded, but the water was falling, leaving in its wake damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of pounds. Landslides, communications faults and weakened permanent ways roused UjOOO workers to be up to 45 minutes late this morning, but by tonight schedules were restored.

Most of the 11,000 telephones put out of order by the rains were also back in service tonight