https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/e01198778be714971e38bfe66ecee280.pdf 6636c3f24406eb9c3687f3ec7ce451c8 PDF Text Text £fM U CC OS (*) Ii a AMENDED COPY P rw soz/f -*Vc FM HAGUE APR22/S3 SECRET TO EXTERNAL 123 PRIORITY INFO LDN WASHDC EMBPARIS NATOPARIS BRU BONN ROME TT DM/DND CCOS FM OTT BAG COPEN ATHENS OSLO LISBON ANKARA MOSCOW FM LDN REF OURTEL 112 APR10 NATO NUCLEAR FORCE-MERCHANTS VISIT TO NETHERLANDS ON APR19,VAN DER VALK, DEPUTY HEAD OF NATO DIV IN FOREIGN MI^£ GAVE US ACCOUNT OF MERCHANTS TALKS WITH NETHERLANDS OFFICIAI APR16 AND 1 7 . USA TEAM FOR MERCHANTS SECOND VISIT TO EUROPE HAD BEEN REDUCED FROM APPROX 15 TO 7 , INCLUDING ADMIRAL LEE,WHO TOOK LEADING PART IN DISCUSSIONS WITH DEFENCE MINISTRY.MTGS WERE HELD ON MORNING OF APR16 WITH FOREIGN MINISTRY AND ON MORNING OF APRi? WITH DEFENCE MINISTRY. 2o TALKS SHOULD BE VIEWED IN LIGHT OF FORTHCOMING GENERAL ELECTION IN NETHERLANDS(MAY15),AND UNWILLINGNESS OF PRESENT GOVT TO COMMIT ITS SUCCESSOR IN RESPECT OF MULTILATERAL FORCE. IN OUR REFTEL WE REPORTED LABOUR PARTYS OPPOSITION TO GOVTS ACCEPTANCE OF GBLIGAT° IONS CONNECTED WITH FORMATION OF MULTILATERAL FORCE. WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT IF FOREIGN MINISTER LUNS HAD NOT RPT NOT GIVEN ASSURANCES, LABOUR SPOKESMAN WOULD HAVE TABLED MOTION IN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT GOVT FROM QUOTE FURTHER PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING UNQUOTE BEFORE ELECTIONS. WHILE LABOUR PARTY HAS NOT RPT NOT DIRECTLY COME OUT AGAINST PARTICIPATION IN MULTILATERAL FORCE,IT HAS HELD THAT IN VIEW OF EXISTING USA NUCLEAR FORCES, SUCH A NATO FORCE QUOTE COULD HARDLY BE OF MILITARY IMPORTANCE UNQUOTE.( THIS VIEW HAS ALSO BEEN EXPRESSED BY SOME MEMBERS OF COALITION).LABOURS REAL CONCERN AT PRESENT I S THAT IF IT DID NOT RPT NOT OPPOSE COMMITMENT,, PACIFIST SOCIALISTS MIGHT BE ABLE TO WIN SEATS FROM LEFT WING OF LABOUR PARTY IN ELECTIONS. HOWEVER, LUNS GAVE ASSURANCES TO SOCIALISTS BOTH IN SECOND CHAMBER, AND PRIVATELY, THAT GOVT DID NOT RPT NOT INTEND TO TAKE ANY DECISIONS ON THIS QUESTION IN NEAR FUTURE. • *«2. 000427 �* PAGE TWO 123 > = 3 c T H I S I S THE ATrcQSPHERE MERCHANT STEPPED INTO.FOREIGN MINISTER LUNS EXPLANKD SITUATION TO Mln PERSONALLY, ADDING THAT DUTCH ROLE IN TALKS WOULD NECESSARILY BE CONFINED TO QUESTIONS.AT SAME TIME DUTCH INDICATED TO AMERICANS T«AT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN NUCLEAR FORCE PROPOSALS, AND WOULD TAKE QUOTE POSITIVE ATTITUDE UNQUOTE TOWARDS DISCUSSIONSoVAN DER VALK BELIEVED AMERICANS HAD BEEN SATISFIED WITH DUTCH RESPONSE .WHILE IT KAY HAVE APPEARED TO AMERICANS FROM TALKS THAT DUTCH WERE NOT RPT NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY ABOUT ONE OR TWO POINTS I N MULTILATERAL FORCE PROPOSALS,VAN DER VALK SWID THAT GOVT "IN FACT HAD AN OPEN HISND TO ALL PROPOSALS, 4oVAN DER VALKS REVIEW OF BERCHANTS PRESENTATION TO FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS ADDED NOTHING NEW TO REPORTS YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM LDN AND BONN.UN COSTS,BERCtiANT DID SAY USA HAD IN MIND THAT REASONABLE SHARE FOR DUTCH IN NUCLEAR FORCE WIGHT BE A TO 5 PERCENT, WHICH WOULD BE ROUGHLY FLORINS ONE HUNDRED MILLIONCCDN DOLLARS THIRTY MILLION) .ANNUALLY.DUTCH DEFENCE ESTIMATES FOR 1963 ARE FLORINS 2j200 MILLION CCDN DOLLARS 750 MILLION)WHICH I S APPROX 2 0 PERCENT OF TOTAL BUDGETo 5 0 I N REPLY TO PRESENTATION,DUTCH AVOIDED ANY COMMENT ON POLITICAL OR MILITARY CONTROL AND PRINCIPLE OF UNANIMITY .VAN DER VALK SAID DUTCH WAN TED TO STUDY AMERICAN PROPOSALS VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE EXPRESSING OPINION ON THIS ASPECT Of FORCEcHE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD USA DESIRE FOR UNAN IWITY.ON OTHER MAJOR POINTS OF VMERICAN PRESENTATION, DUTCH QUESTIONED USA OFFICIALS AT LENGTH,PARTICULARLY ADMIRAL LEE WHO VAN DER VALK SAID PERFORMED QUOTE BRILLIANTLY UNQUOTE IN PRESENTING THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE CASE FOR A SURFACE SHIP POLARIS FORCE, VAN DER VALK.WhO ATTEwDED TALKS IN DEFENCE KIN ISTRY„ SA ID HE WAS DISAPPOINTED BY CICE ADM VAN DER SCHATTE' O L I V I E R S , DUTCH CHIEF OF STAFF, HANDLING OF n T G . H I S QUESTIONS CONCERNING TYPE. OF VESSEL AND MIXED MANNING APPEARED TO VAN DER VALK TO BE QUOTE INSTINCTIVE RATHER THAN CAREFULLY THOUGrtT OUT UNQUOTE.THIS QUESTIONING AT RANDOM MAY HAVE GIVEN AMERICANS IMPRESSION THAT DUTCH WERE NOT RPT NOT FAVOURABLY DISPOSED EITHER TO SURFACE SHIPS OR TO MIXED MANNING?00 �' . ' * PAGE THREE 123 EGlQUEST ION.TELL ME ADMIRALCLEE),WOULD YOU WISH TO 3E A MEMBER OF SUCH A CREW.ANSWER.MERCHANT VESSELS OF EVERY REGISTRY HAVE LONG OPERATED WITH CREWS OF DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES.VAN DER VALK BELIEVES THAT WHILE DEFENCE MINISTRY IS NOT RPT NOT CONVINCED OF FEASIBILITY CF SURFACE VESSELS AND MIXED CREWS,ITS THINKING ON THESE QUESTIONS IS STILL FORMATIVE.DEFENCE OFFICIALS WISHED AMERICANS TO ANSWER EVERY POSSIBLE ARGUMENT. 6.IN SO FAR AS BUILD-UP OF CONVENTIONAL FORCES ARE CONCERNED.DUTCH HAVE FREQUENTLY STATED THAT THIS SHOULD BE GIVEN FIRST PRIORITY,AND ON THIS POINT THERE WAS NO RPT NO DISAGREEMENT WITH USA.ON COSTS, DUTCH COULD NOT RPT NOT INDICATE TO MERCHANT WHETHER 4 TO 5 PERCENT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.VAN DER VALK SAID HE BELIEVES THAT GOVT COULD MEET THIS SHARE OF MULTILATERAL FORCE, AND ADDED THAT A COLLEAGUE IN DEFENCE MINISTRY HAD PRIVATELY EXPRESSED SAME VIEW.HOWEVER, THIS WAS A POLITICAL DECISION WHICH WOULD DEPEND ON THE NEXT GOVT. 7«,IN SUMMING UP MERCHANTS VISIT,VAN DER VALK SAID IF USA DECIDED TO GO AHEAD WITH CREATION OF MULTILATERAL FORCE,OUTCOME OF TALKS HERE WOULD NOT RPT NOT PERMIT AMERICANS TO CONCLUDE THAT DUTCH WOULD SE LIKELY PARTICIPANTS.HOWEVER,DUTCH WOULD LIKE TO BE KEPT FULLY INFORMED ON DEVELOPMENTS,AND WOULD LIKE TO 3E IN ON ANY DISCUSSIONS IN CONNECTION WITH POSSIBLE CREATION OF NUCLEAR FORCE. SoMOST IMPORTANT RESULT OF MERCHANT VISIT ACCORDING TO VAN DER VALK, WAS EFFECTIVENESS OF PRESENTATION IN REMOVING GOVTS DOUBTS OVER MILITARY IMPORTANCE OF SURFACE SHIP POLARIS FORCE.VAN DER VALK SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY AMERICAN CONVICTION OF VALUE OF FORCE.GOVTS FEARS THAT POLITICAL UNITY WOULD NOT RPT NOT BE STRENGTHENED BY CREATION OF FORCE OF DOUBTFUL MILITARY VALUE,HAVE BEEN LARGELY ALLEVIATED. 90WHILE QUESTION OF POLARIS BASES IN EUROPE WAS NOT RPT NOT DISCUSSED DURING MTGS,VAN DER VALK WAS ASKED PRIVATELY BY STATE DEPT OFFICIAL ACCOMPANYING MERCHANT QUOTE WHERE IN EUROPE WOULD YOU PROPOSE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 3ASES FOR POLARIS SHIPS?UHQUOT VAN DER VALK REPL1°°°42 �PAGE FOUR 123 QUOTE PERHAPS IN GERMANY,IN VIEW OF LARGE ROLE ENVISAGED FOR IT UNQUOTE QUOTE NO RPT NO UNQUOTE QUOTE WHY NOT RPT NOT UNQUOTE QUOTE BECAUSE GERMANYS PART SHOULD NOT RPT NOT BE TOO LARGE UNQUOTE. 000430 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW03532 Title A name given to the resource CDNW03532 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "NATO - Nuclear weapons - Policy - NATO long term planning," RG25-A-3-b, vol 5960, file 50219-AL-2-40, part 8-1, Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Nuclear Weapons Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource en