‘U.S. links continue’

Press, 24 October 1989, Page 3

‘U.S. links continue’

By

DAVE WILSON

Declassified American military documents show low-level military cooperation between New Zealand and the United States has continued, in spite of the A.N.Z.U.S. rift.

The papers also indicate communications facilities associated with Operation Deep Freeze at Christchurch are routinely used as part of the link. The Anti-Bases Campaign, a group opposed to any military use of Harewood, has hailed the release of the military documents as conclusive proof that Harewood is being used for military purposes quite apart from its role as a support base for Antarctic research. But sources in the Ministry of Defence say there is nothing new in the communications links between the two countries, and that it had never been stated that all links with America were severed because of New Zealand’s antinuclear legislation. The documents, released under the United States Freedom of Information law, relate to a littleknown international agreement for the naval control of merchant

shipping in time of war or national emergency. The agreement, known as the Radford-Collins Agreement, was signed in 1951 and updated in 1978. Its co-signatories are the United States, Australia, Britain and New Zealand. Dr Peter Wills, a New Zealand peace campaigner who released the papers, said proof that the Radford-Collins agreement was still in effect was gleaned from a heavily censored 750-page copy of the standing operational order used by the United States Pacific Fleet. The order, dated October, 1988, outlines the geographical areas of responsibility for signatories in monitoring shipping movements. New Zealand is assigned an area extending halfway across the Tasman Sea to the west, to the equator in the north and about 1500 km beyond the Chatham Islands in the east.

Dr Wills says the term “naval control of shipping” covers the routing, reporting, convoy organisation and tactical diversion of shipping in time of war or emergency. The United States Pacific Fleet naval control of shipping organisation has reporting officers based in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. They are understood to be Royal New Zealand Navy Volunteer reserve personnel. The declassified documents show coded communications to Auckland and Wellington are channelled through the American Embassy in Wellington. Communications through Christchurch are sent uncoded through communications facilities maintained under the auspices of Operation Deep Freeze. New Zealand’s own Defence communications system is also available, the documents show.

Mr Murray Horton, of the Antibases Campaign, said the papers were conclusive proof that Harewood's communications establishment also served a military purpose. “The base is there for Antarctic purposes, but these show it’s a base for other things as well.” A naval spokesman, Lieutenant Lawrence Tye,- said it was no great secret some links with the United States were still in place. “We no longer exercise our fleet with theirs, but it doesn’t mean we don’t talk to each other. However, they don’t tell us as much as they used to.” He said the Radford-Collins Agreement was part of a worldwide reporting system to safeguard merchant shipping in an emergency. It is aimed at knowing where friendly ships are, and in time of war where the ships of the enemy are.