U.S. unwilling over nuclear stand—P.M.

Press, 3 July 1986, Page 8

U.S. unwilling over nuclear stand—P.M.

By

PATRICIA HERBERT

in Wellington

The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, suggested last evening that the United States did not have the will to accommodate New Zealand’s anti-nuclear stance.

Mr Lange, looking tired

after his overseas trip, said the United States had demonstrated an ability in other alliances to adapt to the policies of its allies. He quoted Denmark, a United States ally under N.A.T.0., saying it had a stated prohibition, constantly reaffirmed, on ad-

mitting nuclear weaponry into its harbours. “

“There has not been a nuclear-propelled warship in Denmark since 1962 — almost a quarter ..of a century,” Mr Lange said, and added that the United States had sent warships to Denmark in that period. “I say that demonstrates that there is an accommodation possible if there is the will to do it,” he said. The American Secretary of State, Mr George Shultz, told Mr ; Lange after talks in Manila last week that New Zealand was effectively out of A.N.Z.U.S.

Mr Lange’s response to this yesterday was to signal that there would be no further attempt by New Zealand to try to break the impasse over the ports policy.

"I think we have reached an end to talking about ship visits,” he said.

Yet New Zealand had offered to protect the identity of ships refused entry in a bid to reconcile its nuclear ban with the United States’ refusal to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear armaments.

Mr Lange repeated this yesterday, saying New Zealand would have made its own independent judgment, would not have required any kind of disclosure from the United States, and would not have disclosed a visit that had been refused.