"Secrets" Circular Being Investigated

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30125, 8 May 1963, Page 16

"Secrets" Circular Being Investigated

(New Zeauna Press Association)

WELLINGTON. May 7. The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoakei said tonight he had “no progress’’ to report on investigations into the distribution of a circular which allegedly exposes New Zealand “secrets” He said the investigation was being carried out by the appropriate authorities. Asked who the "appropriate authorities’ might be. he said “all the departments concerned ” He declined to elaborate further Mr Holyoake said he did no’ know if the circulars were a hoax The documents purport to giv« details about district control centres throughout Neu Zealand in the case of a nuclear attack They were distributed in Wellington and the Hutt Valley last night If form and content they are similar to the “Spies for Peace” pamphlets distributed m Britain last month. The circulars were placed in many letter boxes and claim that New Zealand is about to buy a submarine capable of launching sea-to-around nuclear missiles and that in the event of a nuclear attack a national control centre will assume control of government from a renovated underground bunker, directing a network of district control centre*. Mr Holyoake said earlier that the circular appeared to him to be a somewhat unoriginal flight of tancv inspired. no doubt, by the example of like-minded oeople in Britain some day’s ago

"While ft is true that this Government has. through its civil defence organisation, drawn jp plans which would be brought into in the event of a national disaster or emergency, such a* an earthquake, these bear no relation whatever to the spurious revelations contained in the circular." he said

"It is publicly known that three regional civil defence commissioners have been appointed and these are engaged m co-operating with local bodies in setting up organisations to deal with any emergency which may occur at such local or regional level. “But I. as Prime Minister, have never heard of any regional seats of military government with their district control centres, and neither have the military or civil defence authorities,” Mr Holyoake said. “As to the purchase of a nuclear submarine, this, again in quite untrue. “This clandestine distribution of circulars might have originated as a prank but it is the sort of activity which, if handled mischievously following the lines of the recent British experience. could be damaging to public morale and the incident is being investigated. ’ ’