Keeping Up With Chemical War

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31758, 15 August 1968, Page 15

Keeping Up With Chemical War

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) CANBERRA, Aug. 14. Australia would be foolish not to keep abreast of developments in chemical warfare, the Defence Minister (Mr Allen Fairhall) said yesterday. Mr Fairhall told, the House

of Representatives that no tests had been conducted in Australia with chemical or biological warfare agents. But a small nucleus of scientists was maintained at laboratories in Maribyrnon, Victoria, to assess what was known about germ warfare and to assess its uses.

Mr Fairhall told the Labour Opposition Leader (Mr Gough Whitlam) that it would be folly of the worst kind if Australia were not to keep abreast of what was known of chemical warfare.

Many countries, including those which might be opposed

to Australia’s Interests in the future, had access to this information. j Australia must have the information to defend its own troops in future, if necessary. Mr Whitlam said the United States, with which Australia was linked with Canada and the United Kingdom in an agreement on biological warfare, was not a party to a 1925 Geneva protocol on the subject. He sought an assurance that no information which breached the agreement would be sent to or received from the United States by the

Maribyrnon establishment The Prime Minister (Mr Gorton) who dealt with this part of the question, said it covered matters of future policy.

Conference in Camera.—A national locksmiths’ convention which opens in Philadelphia on Friday will be closed to the public because, a spokesman explained, “there are too many burglars around these days who would like to pick up a few tricks of the trade.”—Philadelphia, August 14.