Evening star., 1963-02-04
CANADA
Continued From PaKe A.

CANADA
Continued From Page Al
made in the House Of Com
mons that seemed to imply {
split with Mr.. Diefenbaker or
the issue of accepting United
r States nuclear weapons.
Mr.. Hardness said Januar.
28 he believed agreement coulC
be reached soon with Washing
ton to make United States
. nuclear warheads available fol
the two Bomarc antiaircraft
missile bases in Canada anc
for the nations five Jet inter
ceptor squadrons.
Mr.. Harkness insisted {
speech by Mr.. Diefenbakel
January IS had been misin'
terpreted and that Canada wa
not scrapping its potential nu'
clear weapons carrier system
Mr.. Diefenbaker had said the
strike role of the Canadian ali
division in Europe had beer
placed in doubt by the United
States-British decision at Mas.
sau on a multinational nuclear
force for NATO.
Course Called Honorable
A member Of Parliament
from Alberta. Mr.. HarknesS
is SO.
Formerly Northern Affairs
Minister Of Agriculture, he as
sumed the defense portfolio
october IL, 1860, succeeding
@. r. Peakes.
Lester B. Pearson, leader oi
the opposition Liberal Party
said Mr.. Harkness had taken
the only honorable course oper
to him"
Mr.. Pearson precipitated the
political dispute over nuclear
warheads in a speech January
IL. While opposed to nuclear
weapons, Mr.. Pearson declared
Canada should live up to its
commitments and accept them
both for North American de-
fense and for the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization.
Robert Thompson, head OF
the Social Credit Party, said
that "in view of the confused
policy of the government and
the lack Of support from the
prime minister, 1t was almost
obvious that Mr.. Harkness
would be forced to take the ac-
ton he has"
FruStratiOn Cited
T. c. Douglas. leader OF the
New Democratic Party. said il
was understandable that Mr.
Harkness resigned because he
had been frustrated by the gov
ernment's procrastination.
Mr.. Diefenbaker remained
silent on Mr.. Harkness' resigna-
ton for the moment.
Mr.. Diefenbaker held ar
unusual Sunday meeting with
his cabinet and prepared to ad-
dress the House of Commons
today. He has said only that
he will make a statement or
biculturalism-a subject chief
ly Of interest to French-speak
ing Quebec Province. He has
not indicated whether he will
take up the nuclear issue.
Short Of Majority
Mr.. Diefenbaker's Conserva-
tive Party came out II seats
short Of a majority in last
June's election. One OF the
three opposition parties, Social
Credit, has thrown its votes To
the government in the past to
keep 1t from defeat.
Mr.. Diefenbaker is said TO be
resigned to a new election this
spring In any case. He is not
happy with his efforts during
the past seven months TO carry
on without a clearcut majority
The government had beer
under fire from the opposition
parties for its defense policies
even before the United States
State Department said last
Wednesday that Canada was
dragging its feet on accepting
nuclear warheads for United
States-supplied Bomarc missiles
and for rockets on Voodoo in
tercepter Jets at home and in
Europe.
All four Canadian parties at
tackled the American statement
as an intrusion into Canadian
affairs. But the question was
whether Mr.. Diefenbaker or
the opposition would reap the
most political advantage from
the repercussions OF the Wash
ington statement.
II Mr. Diefenbaker doesn't
move by tomorrow night. the
three opposition parties-Liber-
ais, New Democrat and Social
Credit-may force an election
by a no-confidence vote.
The election would come ap-
proximately two months after
the dissolution OF parliament
The key is whether Mr.. Pear
son can use the defense issue
or some other issue 10 win the
support OF the Social Credit
Party's 30 members and the
Socialist New Democrat Party's
ls. Without them. he would
not be able 10 pass the no.
confidence motion.C