British Defence Policy Strongly Attacked

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30063, 22 February 1963, Page 11

British Defence Policy Strongly Attacked

(N.ZJ»A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, February 21. The British defence White Paper, published yesterday, evoked divided views and some strong disapproval in this morning’s press.

"The Times,” after expressing the view that there was, in effect, an impression that the Government had not yet made up its mind exacUy what the future nuclear striking force would look like, added: “The United States, under the urgent stimulants of General de Gaulle’s policy of nuclear independence, is seeking radical changes in the nuclear policies of the western alliance. "The Government has apparently decided not to venture too far down any of the confusion of paths with which it is faced until the effects of these changes can be more clearly seen. "Room has been left, if necessary, for a complete redirection of policy.”

The "Guardian,” questioned the wisdom of extending the British nuclear effort: “By embarking on the Polaris programme.” "By adding to it the new development in tactical nuclear weapons for the T.5.R.2 and Buccaneer, also announced yesterday Britain emphasises her determination to have her own nuclear weapons,’’ the newspaper said. The “Guardian” said: “It is true that these are available to support our allies. But they are a separate British effort, maintained because the Government believes that in emergencies it must have nuclear weapons under its own control “So long as the British Government insists on its own nuclear weapons, as the

French do, others will follow. A West German nuclear programme will become harder to resist. Italy will then feel that it has to have its own weapons; so will nations in the Middle East. “The pressure on Russia to let Poland and Czechoslovakia have separate weapons —perhaps eventually East Germany, too—must follow. Costly though these weapons are, Asian governments will want them. “The British decision speeds up the nuclear arms race,” the “Guardian” said. The “Daily Express” argued firmly in favour of maintaining British nuclear forces and said: “As an insurance for peace, as a bulwark of British diplomacy, which provides us with the great equaliser in power politics, the nuclear expenditure is justified a thousandfold.”

“The extent of Britain's dependence on foreign countries for defence is even more astonishing when it is remembered that the Government spent £BOO million on weapons research and development in the last five years,” he said. The “Daily Express” defence writer, Chapman Pincher, said the White Paper showed that Britain’s new regular army was to be largely equipped with for-eign-made weapons. The “Daily Herald" commented: "Yesterday’s defence White Paper is not a coherent plan for defence. It is just a colossal!y expensive rag-bag.” Other press comments were:

The “Daily Telegraph”: "If one thing emerges from this statement, it is a picture of ever-rising expense.” The "Daily Sketch”: "The truth behind them (the statistics in the White Paper) is that the Government's defence policy has broken down.”

The “Daily Worker”: “The sooner the Government and its disastrous defence programme are thrown out, the better for Britain.”