https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/36c73497c4e86f6884e8ac1b969b21f1.pdf 628b4946100f1dc476fe95f52e2f0179 PDF Text Text Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur I'acces a I'information <v 9S4& FM mm DEC5/57 SECRET HT ^ T\s^h~] fo1^^ Hv^lf ' j^zU^'Ar -r> I NFO LDN NATOPARIS ~REF| OURTEL 535 DEC sr\ GJEBMAfl VIEWS: OM NATO WEAPONS , ,/ LAl * % i C^^bP^ ^o£>? r> ^ - *V"~ ^ _KE_fTHOUGHT ?.T MIGHT BE USEFUL TO RECORD THE ATTITUDE OF THE GERMAN AND OF THE SPD OPPOSITION TO THE POSSIBLE FUTURE STATIONING EF.MANY OF THE MOST RECENT WEAPONS. UNDERLINE}TACTICAL MISSILESCENDUNDERLINE)-AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE |c 6 mi ON JULU DEFENCE MINISTER STRAUSS SAID THAT THE BUNDESWEHR WOULD B EQUIPFED VA JTICAL MISSILES FOR ANTI--AIRCRAFT. ANTI-TANK AND CLOSE-SUPPORT ROLES.THESE MISSILESFUTURE*THE WOULD BE FEDERAL ARMED VITH CONVENTIONAL WARHEADS ANDVOR THE FORESEEABLE GOVT HAD NO TENT!ON OF EQUIPPING ITS FORCES WITH ATOMIC WARHEADS.THE SPD DEFINCE SPOKESMAN,FRITZ ERLER,HAS SAID THAT THE SPD PELT THAT USE OF TACTICAL ROCKETS(WITH CONVENTIONAL tfitttJW>si SHOULD 3E SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED.FPOM OTHER SPD SOURCES WE LEARN THAT THAT PARTY WIA MAKE NO FUSS ON THIS SCORE,HOWEV I SPD WILL OPPOSE WITH ALL THEIR STRENGTH ANY EFFORT TO PROVIDE THE BUNDESWEHR WITH ATOMIC WARHEADS FOR THE MISSILES,AS WE HAVE REPORTED,THE GERMAN GOVT WOULD WELCOME SOME EASING OF THE RESTRICTIONS IN THE BRUSSELS TREATY ON THE PRODUCTION OF GUIDED MISSILES IN G£RMANY,PARTICULARLY OF GUID ANTI-TANK ROCtfETS.THE OPPOSITION TOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AWARE YET OF THE TREND OF THE GOVT'S THINKING IM THIS RESPECT,, 3.*, UNDERLINE)STRATEGIC MISSILE ENDUNDERLINE) .THE REACTION OF THE SPD TO SUGGESTIONS THAT INTERMEDIATE-RANCE MISSILES MIGHT BE BASED LN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC HAS BEEN PROMPT AND EXPLICIT.THE SPD WILL OPPOSE Til ESTABLISHMENT OF IRBM BASES ON GERMAN SOIL NO MATTER WHETHER THE B\STS AR" UNDEF AMERICAN OR GERMAM CONTROL.FRITZ ERLER HAS STATED HI3 PARTY'S STAND THAT SUCH BASES WOULD INVITE SOVIET RETALIATION AND,FAR FROM INCREASING THE SECURITY OF THE FEDERAL REA LIC,WOULD ONLY BRING ADDED DANGERS.THE ESTABLISHED SPD OPPOSITION TO THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS COMPREHENDS,OF COURSE,USE OF IRBM SINCE,AS ERLER SAID,IT WOULD BE ABSURD TO THINK OF AN IRBM WITH A CONVENTIONAL WARHEAD«THE SPD ARE EMBRACING WITH MUCH ENTHUSIASM THE PROPOSALS TO ESTABLISH ANwATOM-FREE,MISSILE"FREErtZONE IN CENTRAL » . 9 2 000740 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la loi sur I'acces a I'information PAGE TWO 5 3 7 EUROPE,SO FAR,THE SPD HAS NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE POSSIBLE FUTURE POSSESSION AND CONTROL OF STRATEGIC MISSILES BY THE GERMAN GOVT AND FORCES AND THE USE OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC TERRITORY FOR USA MISSILE BASES.IN CONVERSATION YESTERDAY WITH HELMUT SCHMIDT,THE SPD DEPUTY DEFENCE SPOKESMAN,WE ASKED WHETHER THE PARTY HAD,PRIVATELY,MADE ANY D I S T I N C T I O N S SAID THE SPD PARLIAMENTARY GROUP HAD CONSIDERED THE MATTER AND DECIDED THAT THE ONLY CONSISTENT ATTITUDE WAS TO OPPOSE ABSOLUTELY THE FRESENCE OF ATOMIC MISSILES ON GERMAN SOIL.HE SAID,HOWEVER,THAT THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE INTENSITY OF HIS PARTY'S OPPOSITION TO IRBMS WOULD BE FAR GREATER IF THEY WERE TO BE IN GERMAN RATHER THAN AMERICAN HANDS.THE FEDERAL GOVT HAS SHOWN A CONTRASTING RETICENCE ON THIS IMPORTANT MATTER OF POLICY.AS WE HAVE REPORTED,THE GOVT DOES NOT WISH TO HAVE TO TAKE A DECISION AT THIS TIME.THE PRINCIPAL PUBLIC STATEMENT SO FAR WAS MADE BY VON ECKARDT,THE OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN.HE DENIED A REPORT IN<UNDERLINE>SPIEGEL<ENDUNDERLINE)THAT THE FEDERAL GOVT HAD ALREADY AGREED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF USA ROCKET BASES IN GERMANY AND SAID THAT THE QUESTION WOULD NOT POSE ITS£LF"BEFORE THE NEXT TWO YEARS*.HE ADDED THAT FOR THIS REASON IT WAS NEITHER NECESSARY NOR APPROPRIATE TO STATE NOW WHETHER THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC WANTED SUCH WEAPONS.THIS EVASIVE REPLY WAS MORE THAN MATCHED BY HERR STRAUSS WHEN HE SHRUGGED OFF A QUESTION BY SAYING THAT STRATEGIC MISSILES DID NOT FIT INTO THE ROLE ALLOCATED TO THE BUNDESWEHR.WE HAVE ALREADY REPORTED BAUDISSIN'S CONFIDENTIAL COMMENT THAT HIS GOVT WAS NOT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT HAVING INTERMEDIATE RANGE MISSILES IN GERMANY.I THINK THAT ONLY A CLEAR CONVICTION THAT SUCH WEAPONS WERE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR MILITARY REASONS WOULD ALTER THIS ATTITUDE RITCHIE 000741 � 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 CDNW02298 Title A name given to the resource Bonn to External 537 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 05-Dec-57 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived �NATO - Stockpiling of atomic weapons in NATO countries,� RG25-A-3-b, vol. 5958, 50219-AL-1-40, pt. 1.2, Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Department of External Affairs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource atomic cooperation, NATO, nuclear weapons, Europe Description An account of the resource German Views on NATO 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