Atom Test Protest Still

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30998, 2 March 1966, Page 17

Atom Test Protest Still

“But we have had large offers of money once we have bought a ship,” he said. “We are now planning to set up a trust fund so that the cash can only be spent buying a vessel. If this does not eventuate the money will then be returned to the donors.” Plans to use a 48ft motorsailer which was being built at a secret site on Sydney harbour have fallen through, Mr Wilkie said. He said the crews for the protest boats had not yet been selected, though there was a list of about 50 volunteers from New Zealand, Australia, France. Belgium, and Chile.

The French plan to test their nuclear bomb on the Mururoa atoll, about 780 miles south-east of Tahiti. It was originally thought the test would be carried out in mid-June, but the committee does not now expect it before September. American-born Mr Wilkie, a lecturer in English at the Sydney Technical College, said the primary aim of the committee was to prevent the tests being held.

“We don’t know by what right the French could impede the free passage of a boat on the high seas, but we are prepared to be arrested in our bid to frustrate the tests.

“We hope to change the course of history by taking an active stand against the

tests. We want to say to the French: ‘lf you must cover the Pacific with deadly radiation, then start with us.’ ” Mr Wilkie said the suggestion that another boat travelling in secrecy be sent to the test area came from French nuclear disarmers. “Our friends In France feel that our protest will only be effective if it’s done in absolute secrecy with nothing announced until the boat is actually in the test zone. “We feel it is possible that the Australian or New Zealand Governments could take some action to stop us on some pretext, and that we would stand a better chance of getting a boat there without publicity. “We aim to get into the zone and then annouiice by radio communication that we are there, and ask the French what they propose to do about it.” He said the “secret” boat would leave Sydney under cover of darkness and without any announcement “The other would, no doubt go out in a blaze of publicity—even if we got no further than Sydney heads.” The boats would be adapted so that they could be sealed below decks during fall-out, and then decontaminated. Mr Wilkie said the crew on the “secret ship” would be smaller than that on the other vessel, and would be carefully chosen with as many dif-

ferent nationalities as possible represented. “We believe that direct, non-violent, confrontation is the way we can best frustrate the French.” He said the crew members could expect to be at sea six months—“or as long as the tests continue.” “If the French show a great deal of concern for our welfare in insisting that we leave the testing zone we shall ask why they don’t show the same concern for millions of people in the Southern Hemisphere who will suffer from fall-out." Mr Wilkie said the committee was very happy that the New Zealand and Australian Governments had officially protested against the tests, but thought they could go further. “We think they should consider breaking off diplomatic relations with France if the tests are held. “New Zealand Is nearer to the testing ground than Australia, and I would think the New Zealand Government would be that much more anxious to protest. “We could look towards New Zealand to show the way by taking a leading moral position in this part of the world. “After the 80,000 islanders, New Zealanders are going to be worse hit in terms of how much radioactivity they are going to have to eat with their contaminated food."