N.A.T.O. A-FORCE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30065, 25 February 1963, Page 11

N.A.T.O. A-FORCE

U.S. AndU.K. Agree

(NJ!. Press Assn.—Copyright) WASHINGTON, February 23. The United States and Britain reportedly reached general agreement today on steps that might be taken by the Allied Powers to create a nuclear force command under the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The United States State Department announced completion of talks between the two Governments, which started here a week ago. The results will now go before the North Atlantic Council in Paris, according to the Associated Press.

Britain agreed - at Nassau on December 21 to assign a nuclear armed bomber force to N.A.T.0., with the United States to put in a matching force. The British have now been told that the initial United States contribution will be in the form of Polaris submarines rather than bdmbers.

A.P. said it was learned that both the United States and British Governments feel that the N.A.T.O. nuclear forces should be placed under command of the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Lyman L Lemnitzer, an American. The United States will put three Polaris submarines into the Mediterranean next month. A fleet of the nuclear submarines is already on duty in the Atlantic. Assignments to N.A.T.O. could be made from both the Mediterranean and Atlantic forces. A third element of the N.A.T.O. force is now being negotiated in Europe by President Kennedy’s special envoy, Mr Livingston Merchant. This element could be a multi-national force armed with Polaris missiles based on surface ships and equipped with nuclear warheads supplied by the United States.

Ob Fights Gales

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) MOSCOW. Feb. 23. Soviet Antarctic explorers have been fighting gales and blizzards for two weeks before finally unloading their supply ship Ob ait the new Soviet expedition base in Enderby Land, some 2500 miles south of South Africa, Tass reported today. The diesel-electric ship Ob left the Soviet observatory at Mirny base for Enderby Land early this month, carrying scientists and 1300 tons of supplies for the start of the eighth Soviet Antarctic expedition.