Daily News, 1963-02-05

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HARKNESS RESIGNS DEFENCE POST
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THEDAILfNEWS
ST. JOHN'S NEWFOUNDLAND TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5 1963
VOL. 70.   NO. 30       16 PAGES
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jlreaks With Government
|0n Nuclear Arms Policy
By DAVE MclNTOSH
OTTAWA (CP) — Hon. Douglas Harkness, soldier and politician, announced resignation
his defence portfolio Monday because of "irreconcilable" differences with Prime Minister
sfenbaker.   He said he believes the government can't be re-elected on its present defence
The 59-year-old MP for Calgary North said in the Commons that he believes Canada
culd have obtained nuclear warheads for its nuclear carri ers at home and abroad as soon
the latter were ready.
"I resigned as a matter of principle," he said before a packed Commons from a newly
iigned seal outside the cabinet benches.
"The point was finally reached when I considered that my honor and integrity required
Hake this step."
In his letter of resignation to Mr. Diefenbaker, dated~Sunday and made public Monday
lining, the former minister said his views and those of the prime minister "are not capable
reconciliation."
In his letter of acceptance, Mr. Diefenbaker said Mr. Harkness had supported his Janu-
25 defence policy speech in the Commons and "I am at a loss to understand your sugges-
now that your views and mine are not in agreement."
Mr. Diefenbaker added: "My views have not changed.   Between then (Thursday night)
Sunday you must have changed yours."
HateM   denied   at   a
conference lhat his opin-
js changed.
aid hc believed his Jan.
rtss statement stating that
jdtcreraent had a "definite
" lor acquisition of nn-
arms had been accepted
.«administration,
said he still believed this
ht spoke in Ihe Commons
ilay night.
as asked what bad hap-
Friday or Saturday   to
iim (eel thc government
njtr accepted his position.
ihat
OTTAWA
71st sitting
ended Monday night be-
ajovernment'
. tell yoi
"I'm afraid I can
Hint." he said.
Reliable sources indicated, |
however, that thc government |
had given Mr. Harkness a com-!
mitment that nticlca • warheads
would be supplied the RCAF
air division in Europe after the
NATO meeting here n May but
then expressed reservations
about this late last week.
Mr, Harkness sad in the
Commons: "On reflection, I
believe now I made a mistake
in agreeing to what would
amount to a four-month delay
in obtaining nuclear warheads
for our forces in Europe. I did
so agree in the hope of getting
tlie nuclear arms question definitely settled."
AffaC aft   (APPOINTS SEVIGNY
ntTinrf/ ; Mr- Diefenbaker announced
all 111 I Iff | appointment of Associate De-
v,,iiiO lfence Minister Sevigny as acting defence minister.
At a half-hour press confer-
jencc. Mr. Harkness was asked
lease galleries and amid    whether the government can he
Indications that a defeat  ! re-elected on   its   present   defence policy.
"My own view is that it could
not," Mr. Harkness replied.
At another point, he said: "1
remain as a member ot thc
Conservative party and I will
continue to work within that
party."
Hc added that he hopes to run
in the next general e ection "but
that will bc in the hands of my
supporters in Calgary North to
whom I hope to report shortly."
In Calgary, Dr. John J, Porter, president of the Calgary
North federal Progressive Conservative Association, said:
"There is no doubt whatsoever
about him being our candidate.
. . . The only question, in our
opinion, and we're naturally optimistic, is how large a majority hc will have."
At his press conference Mr.
Harkness rejected ' absolutely"
the position of Liberal Leader
Pearson on nuclear arms "that
Htvttnfidencr motions
sponsored by the So-
Credit parly and   the
ky the Liberals—wcre
id Monday and will
lo a rote at 8:15 to-
!M. Either could topple the
Conservative   gov-
Poll ol the  opposition
*> Stated thai the So-
Credit motion,  alleging
*" lo "give  a clear
of policy  on na-
W defence,"   is likely to
support from both Lib.
»d New Democrats—
to overthrow  the
Canada - Un led Stales
agreement for provision of nuclear weapons along thc lines of
present agreements between thf
U.S. and other NATO countries
would not infringe on Canadian
sovereignty.
In view of his statement that
his views and Mr. Diefenbak-
er's were irreconci able, was
the prime minister opposed to
nuclear weapons?
Mr. Harkness replied that Mr.
Diefenbaker had said his prime
ministerial statement on '
fence policy Jan, 25 "stands as
a whole and there you ar
Mr.    Diefenbaker    had
Canada was negotia ing "quite
forcibly" with the U.S. on i
(Continued on Page 5)
limit .position is that Can-! DecUlieS To
ada should evade her responsibility by accepting nuclear weapons now and then immediately
negotiate out of them."
SEES NO INFRINGEMENT
Other major points made by-
Mr. Harkness at his press conference:
Pearson Moves
Non-Confidence
OTTAWA (CP) - Opposition
Leader Pearson Monday moved
a motion of non-confidence in
the government based on '
of leadership, the breakdown of
unity within the cab net, contusion and indecision In handling
national and international
fairs."
He made the mot on at the
end of a speech lasting one hour
mss
ext Of Letter
o Diefenbaker
OTTAWA <CP> - Text of letter to Prime Minister Diefenbaker from Douglas Harkness,
resigning as Canada's minister
of national defence:
My Dcar Prime Minister:
For over two years you have
been aware that 1 believed
nuclear warheads should be
supplied to the four weapons
systems we have acquired
which are adapted to their use.
Throughout this period I believed that they would be authorized at the appropriate
time.
During the pasl two weeks
particularly, I have made absolutely clear what I considered the minimum position I
could accept, and several
times have offered to resign
unless it was agreed to.
It has become quite obvious
during the last few days that
your views and mine as to the
course we should pursue for
the acquisition of nuclear weapons for our armed, forces are
not capable of reconciliation,
thus it is with a great deal of
regret lhat I now find I must
tender my resignation as minister of national defence.
Until the last few'weeks I
enjoyed my five vand a half
years as a member of your
government and trust I have
made some contribution to it
and to Canada.
.Yours regretfully,
DOUGLAS S. HARKNESS,
and 40 minutes in which he
charged the government with
gross mismanagement of public affairs.
The government had so mismanaged the busin ss of the
country that it was even running out of money to pay its
bills.
Prime Minister Diefenbaker
interjected that the government
will be returned to office whenever it goes to the people for
a new mandate.
"There's a new definition nf
an optimist," retorted the opposition leader.
Mr. Pearson ended his speech
by voicing the words spoken by
Cromwell at the time he
crushed the Long Parliament:
"In the name of God, go."
Be Squeezed
Bv   DAVE   MclNTOSH
OTTAWA (CP) - Hon. Douglas Harkness, the man in thc
middle, has declined to be
squeezed any more.
Soon aftcr he became defence minister in October, I960.
Mr. Harkness blurted mil to a
reporter that it would bc "foolish" for Canadian forces not to
have nuclear weapons.
Ever since then—up to Mon-,
day when he made public his
resignation from the cabinet-
Mr. Harkness had been caught
between military and political
forces not of his making.
Long before Mr. Harkness
look over the defence portfolio
the government announced acquisition of two nuclear weapons carriers—the Bomarc antiaircraft missile and the CF-104
low-level jet bomber—and said
it was negotiating with the U.S.
to acquire the nuclear warheads
for them.
Mr. Harkness, now 59, had no
need to force the nuclear pace
as long as the weapons carriers
weren't in service.
Hon. Douglas Harkness (left) who resigned Monday as Minister.of National Defence, because of 'irreconcilable differences' with Prime Minister Diefenbaker (right) on nuclear arms policy.
Government's Uncertain Life
Enters Most Critical Stage
OTTAWA (CP)- The uncertain life of Prime M nister Dief-
cnbaker's minority Conservative government Monday entered its most cri ical stage
since the election seven months
Hit first by the resignation of
Lt.-Col. Douglas Harkness as
defence minister, il was confronted next by a Liberal non-
confidence motion in thc House
of Commons and thus the risk
of being defeated and forced to
go to tlie country again.
In   a   motion   scheduled   to
SAYS DEFENCE
POLICY WILL
DEFEAT GOVT.
OTTAWA (CP) - Former defence minister Harkness said
Monday he believes the government cannob be re-elected on
its present defence policy.
He was asked at a press conference whether the government
can be re-elected on its present
defence policy.
"My own view is that it i
not," Mr. Harkness said.
He also said he will continue]
to put forward his view that
weapons now.
He said the proposed Canada-
U.S. agreement for provision of
nuclear weapons would not infringe on Canadian sovereignty.
At another point, he said Canada was weakened militarily
during the recent Cuban crisis
because it did not have nuclear
reach a roll-call vote today at not ready to make a clear ile-asions.   But   in  this   case   Mr.
8:15   p.m.,   Liberal   Opposition 1 cision for one party. j Harkness  was known  to have
Leader Pearson  seized  on the     Minutes later, in thc corridor the sympathy and support of a
festering   nuclear-weapons   dis-1 outside, hc told a reporter lie:number ot Conservative MPs.
pute that led to the Harkness j was  "stalling"  until  his  party j number UNKNOWN
resignation   and   attacked   thc, could caucus and decide how to!   The size of this group would
government for: I vote. (m|y  |)C  gauged   accurately   ,f
"... Lack of leadership. | A major split-especially nfjthcy voted in a bloc. And that
the breakdown of unity in the^,, sjzc ulat wou],j |)C needed | would only happen—if at all-
cabinet, and confusion and in-1 to offset Social Credit support j if Mr. Harkness felt hc could
decision in dealing with na- I _js practically unheard of in not support the government un
tional and international prob- j Canadian parliamentary divi-'i (Continued on Page 5)
lems." I
"There is nn confusion," Mr,
Diefenbaker testily interjected
at one point in the House Monday. Hc had not yet entered the
debate itself, which came as
the government presented estimates for debate and thus
opened the historic parliamentary grievance procedure.
GALLERIES PACKED
The Commons gal cries,
the row reserved for the diplomatic corps, were packed and
humming  with   anticipation  as
these two riddles arose:
1. Would the 30-man Social
Credit group vote to keep thc
government in office'
2. Would the Conservative
ranks remain united'
The first was the most confused conundrum.
First Social Credit Leader
Robert Thompson said outside
the chamber—before the vote
began-that his party would
support the government if it
met a series of cond tions. First
of these called for a clear-cut
statement of defence policy.
A few hours later from the
floor of the Commons, Mr.
Thompson said an election at
this time would solve nothing—
that it would carry 'anti-American overtones" and be dam
aging. He said the people are
SCs To Help
Topple Govt.?
OTTAWA i CPi - The government was hit by llic second
non-confidence motion within a
few hours Monday when Social
Credit Leader Robert Thompson moved one citing failure to
"give a clear statement of policy on national defence."
The motion also charged the
government with failure to organize the business of the Commons in such a way as to permit introduction of the 1963'64
spending estimates.
It further accused it of failing to take effective action on
legislation already passed by
the House in the economic field.
Earlier, the Liberals had
moved a motion of non-confidence alleging indecision and
lack of leadership on the part of
the government.
Mr. Thompson, who earlier
had given what many observes interpreted as a definite indication that Social Credit will
support   the   minority   govern-
its test of strength tonight, appeared to reopen the
possibility his party will now act
to topple the Diefenbaker administration.
Social  Credit  voting  support
has saved the government from
defeat several times in the past
few months.
IN EXPLANATION
Mr. Thompson said there has
been "no explanation whatever"
from Prime Minister Diefenbaker of government defence
policy in the light of Douglas
Harkness' resignation as defence minister.
The Social Credit leader, who
earlier said a federal election
held at this time and carrying
anti-American overtones would
be a tragedy, said Monday night
it would be worse not to go to
the people.
The uncertain life of Mr. Dief-
enbaker's minority government
has entered its most critical
stage since the election seven
months ago.
NUCLEAR ARMS
OTTAWA, Ont.—Photographed together for first time, (in Dec. 1962) leaders of Canada's four political par:
ies appear to be in unsson.Jhey applaud Sen. Ross MacDonald, during unveiling of portrait of former Speaker of the House, Roland Michener. Left to right: Prime Minister John Diefenbaker; Liberal Leader Lester
Pearson; Social Credit Leader Robert Thompson; and New Democratic Party Leader T. C. Douglas.
,    (UPI TELEPHOTO)
PMs Views Need
Clarification
By HAROLD MORRISON
WASHINGTON (CP) - Sc:
tor George Aiken said Monday
that subcommittee investigation
shows that nuclear weapons are
required for the defence of Canada and the United States and
that the views of Prime Minister Diefenbaker on this point
require clarification.
Ending a 90-minute closed
closed hearing, the Vermont Republican said it was the feeling
of the U.S. government as well
as Americans generally that
continental defence requires the
use of nuclear weapons if this
defence is to be effective.
Weapons used in Canada without nuclear warheads are "not j
very effective," lie told a press
conference following thc inves-I
ligation by his Senate foreign
relations subcommittee into
Canada-U.S. nuclear issues.
He said that State Secretary
Dean Rusk, in testimony before
thc subcommittee, took full re
sponsibility for public criticism
THEf COUNTRY PARSON
."I hope folks don't think of
the church as protection—insurance never prevented a fire.
In fact, it's been the reason
for some starting."
! N'll
issued by the state department
last Wednesday contradicting
Diefenbaker's version of Canada-U.S. nuclear negotiations.
ti'ti