Canada Concerned About Arms Sales To S.A.

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32359, 27 July 1970, Page 13

Canada Concerned About Arms Sales To S.A.

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright>

OTTAWA, July 26.

Canada has expressed concern to the British Prime Minister (Mr Edward Heath) that any renewal of arms sales to South Africa by Britain will affect Commonwealth relations.

The Canadian Prime Minister (Mr Pierre Trudeau) set out his Government’s views in a letter eight days ago—before Britain announced this week it would consider applications to export arms to South Africa.

Ottawa officials said that in the letter Mr Trudeau was "expressing the concern of

the Canadian Government.” A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office said that the letter included an expression of concern about the effect on Commonwealth relations of the British decision. News of Mr Trudeau's letter coincided with a stiffening of Canada's own attitude towards South Africa and its apartheid doctrine. Yesterday Canada announced that it was reviewing its policy of allowing Canadian firms to sell South Africa spare parts for military aircraft

Observers, proclaiming the step as much more important symbolically than economically, said that it also denoted a possible widening of the gap that has developed between Canada and Britain over arms sales to the republic.

Canada acted after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling on all States to embargo arms sales to South Africa “unconditionally and without reservations.”

A spokesman for the Can-

adian External Affairs Minister (Mr Mitchell Sharp) said earlier this week that the British Government had been told that Canadian public opinion was strongly opposed to the sale of arms to South Africa. Canadian Government reaction to sales would reflect the views of the public, he added. Criticism In U.N.

In the United Nations debate, Canada was criticised by an Ambassador, Mr Richard Akwei, of Ghana, for allowing aircraft parts to be sold to South Africa despite an international arms embargo provided by earlier United Nations resolutions.

When the original embargo was voted in 1963, Canada decided to abide by its provisions.

However, the Government

of the day excepted spare parts, including engines, for some Canadian military aircraft sold to South Africa before that time. It said these could continue. This business is small. Last year the total value of spare parts sold by Canada to South Africa for both civilian and military planes was 81,275,000. The Government’s recentlypublished White Paper on foreign policy declared Canada's continuing opposition to any arms sales and to South Africa’s racial policies. Canada’s tougher stance towards South Africa is also reflected in a decision reported to have been taken by Polymer, a Crown corporation specialising In petro-chemi-cals, to divest itself of its interests in the republic.