https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/ccae19564a635c60c5240588f90083f8.pdf bfe9b9cc2292ac213d4e4220b8090a12 PDF Text Text SEEN BY TKE PRUAE M;NMSTE£ Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur I'acces a I'information CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS February 19, 1964. MEMORANDUM FOR: THE PRIME/MINISTER Circle a r Weapons Policy During the Parliamentary recess, there have been certain developments which make me believe that we may face questions on nuclear policy early in the present Session. There was first your television interview on January 5 in which you looked forward to a "diminution" in Canada's nuclear role. This was followed by statements by the Leader of the NDP alleging, notwithstanding your statement, that Canada was planning to open its territory to AICBM missiles if the U.S. should proceed with their production and deployment. Finally, there was Mr. Hellyer's announcement on February 5 of the introduction of a nonnuclear capability into the reorganized Air Division in Europe. 2. Even if questions are not raised in the House, I suggest that there might be something to be said for putting on the record, perhaps in the course of your address in reply to the Speech from the Throne, a clarification of the Government's policy. This would serve not only to maintain our consistent record of a frank disclosure to the Canadian public of our nuclear policy, but would also help to clarify our intentions in the eyes of our NATO partners and perhaps put an end to Soviet interest in the meaning of recent defence statements and moves. 3« During your absence in Florida, our Ambassador in Moscow was asked by the Soviet Foreign Office to clarify your statement "that Canada would eventually seek a role in NATO which was non-nuclear". I attach Ford's report of that conversation dated January 21 and our reply of January 24 offering guidance on how he should deal with the question should the Soviet authorities revert to it. I was prompted . . /2 000653 IUH^ �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur I'acces a I'information - 2 - CONFIDENTIAL to instruct Ford to place your remarks in the context of the reorganization of the Air Division partly to give the Soviet Union no opportunity to drive wedges between our defence arrangements and those of NATO as a whole, but partly also because it has seemed to me that there has been a widespread tendency to distort what you said at Scarborough on January 13, 1963 when you laid the foundation for what has since become Government nuclear policy. You will recall that you said then "The Government should re-examine at once the whole basis of Canadian defence policy, and in particular it should discuss with the U.S. and with NATO a role for Canada in continental and collective defence which would be more realistic and effective for Canada than the present one. This examination would be concerned, among other things, with the necessity of building up NATO's conventional forces and the part Canada could play in this." 4* Oversimplified, this has come to be described as "negotiating out of the nuclear role". Yet that is not what you said and given the nature of the threat to North America and the defences required to meet it for the foreseeable future., it is difficult to envisage our being able to avoid entirely some nuclear contribution at home if we are not to hand over the air defence of Canada to the U.S. It is easier to envisage a gradual rundown of our nuclear commitment in Europe --* and this will in fact be reflected in the White Paper shortly to be released — but even that is going to take time. 5« On the whole, I think you will agree that it is necessary to be careful to qualify at all times any thought that we can divest ourselves of the nuclear role either quickly or entirely. In my judgement, it is more consistent with the basic policy to emphasize at this time the dilution of the nuclear role through the introduction of a non-nuclear capability, rather than its total abandonment. 6. It is with these thoughts in mind that I attach a draft statement on nuclear weapons policy. If you find these passages acceptable, you may wish to consider including them - • /3 000654 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur I'acces a I'information - 3 - CONF'D. in your speech tomorrow. Alternatively, I should be grateful to have your comments upon this draft as a guide to the line which should be taken in dealing with possible questions. ^^ P. M. 000655 � 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 CDNW18099 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Defence - Conventional and Nuclear Armaments - Nuclear Weapons Policy,” RG25-A-3-c, File number: 27-11-1, File part: 1, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource LAC ATIP A-2017-00249 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Crown Copyright 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 ENG