"Open Secret"

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30914, 22 November 1965, Page 15

"Open Secret"

(N.Z PA. Reuter —Copyright)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.

United States Government officials said last night it was an “open secret” that United States nuclear warheads had been mounted on aircraft and missiles belonging to West Germany and some other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries.

They were commenting on a report in the “New York Times,” published today, which said the warheads had been mounted secretly for more than -six years. The State Department never comments on military nuclear arrangements, but authoritative sources said the Presi-

dent had always exercised full control over nuclear warheads used in Allies’ weapon systems.

They said this control covered nuclear arms fitted to West German FlO4 fighters and German Pershing missiles

Observers pointed out that only this week a member of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, Mr John G. Palfrey, had publicly suggested the West . Germans might be given medium-range ballistic missiles armed with American atomic warheads.

He said; “The pressures for obtaining a national (nuclear) capability in Germany will persist as long as the Germans know there are missiles of medium range in Russia, targeted on them, which they cannot reach with the aircraft on quick reaction alert or the tactical-range missiles which the Germans possess under the current N.A.T.O. stockpile arrangements.”