17 March 1969: Memorandum for the Minister - Nixon's Announcement

At last, the Canadians heard from the Nixon administration, summarized in this memorandum. On March 14, President Nixon announced that the Sentinel programme – which would have been deployed around 15 major cities – would not proceed as planned, but rather, “cover two minuteman complexes in Montana and North Dakota.” According to the memo, the Canadian government’s preliminary assessment was “that by placing primary emphasis on the protection of the United States deterrent forces, the new US proposal seems less likely to lead to escalation of the nuclear arms race than would have been the case if the President had proceeded with the plans of the Johnson administration.”

The memo also emphasized President Nixon’s claims that he was not increasing offensive weapons capabilities, and that he did not view this measure as an escalation of the arms race. In the suggested House of Commons response concerning the matter, External Affairs advisors recommended that the Minister state that the Canadian government “attaches the greatest importance to the emphasis which the President has given to preventing its decision from leading to an escalation in the arms race.” The Canadians attempted to take President Nixon’s words at face value, while they also championed their continued support for arms control.