Tomato misses its mark

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34120, 5 April 1976, Page 18

Tomato misses its mark

/.V Z. Press Association/ WELLINGTON. April 4. A tomato, thrown by a bystander just as the car carrying the United States Vice-President: (Mr Nelson Rockefeller) left the James Cook Hotel in Wellington on Saturday morning, provided the only note of discord on his 48-hour visit to New Zealand. The tomato thrower, who missed his mark, tried to escape, but was soon caught by the police. He was charged with disorderly behaviour, and will appear in court later this week. Before he left Wellington for Ohakea. Mr Rockefeller held a brief press confer-

ence, at w-hich he reaffirmed America's defence commitments to the South Pacific and South-East Asia. Questioned about the possible risk to New- Zealand from visiting American nu-clear-powered warships, Mr Rockefeller dismissed the issue as “unreal”. In the last 18 years no deaths or injuries had been caused by nuclear plants in the United States, yet more than 848,000 people had died in road accidents in that time. “As yet there is no active movement in our country to ban the motor car.” he said. Mr and Mrs Rockefeller and party flew to Ohakea. accompanied by the Prime Minister and Mrs Muldoon, in the V.I.P. Friendship of the Civil Aviation Division. From Ohakea. the Rockefellers flew to Tahiti.