POLÍnCA NUCLEAR
a national nuclear deterent, it was easy for Canada to reach the
conclusion that proliferation of nuclear weapons would be damag–
ing not only to Canadian interests but to the general interests of
the world community. It is not the existing nuclear powers are
more moral or responsible, than other nations. An argument can
be made out to the contrary. It is rather that a proliferation of
weapons wilI increase the number of decision makers in a position
to use them in combato There is a risk that a local conflict with
nuclear weapons could bring in powers outside the region and lead
to global nuclear conflicto
9. The spread of nuclear weapons in the end would probably not
enhance the security of those that acquired them, since their neigh–
bours would foIlow suit. The same holds true for considerations
of prestige. Any temporary enhancement of prestige would be
quickly eroded as others followed suit. The first country to intro–
duce nuclear devices in a region would bear the historical appro–
priom for this action. Moreover those with nuclear weapons might
find themselves the target for nuclear attack so that they would
have undermined their security. While it is within the reach of
any country with a reasonable scientific and industrial base to de–
velop a smaIl supply of nuclear explosive devices it would be very
difficult, if not impossible, to match the delivery systems of the
existing nuclear powers particularly the United States and the So–
viet Union.
lO These considerations Ied Canada strongly to support the Non–
Proliferation Treaty, despite the fact that
it
is an unequal treaty
since it recognizes the nuclear status of the existing nuclear weap–
ons states.
11. A number of commentators have considered the problem of
vertical proliferation, that is an increase in nuclear weapons capa–
city by the existing nuclear states as representing as great a danger
to world peace as horizontal proliferation that is an increase in the
number of states with the nuclear weapons capability. Canada has
opposed vertical proliferation and is not prepared to supply ura–
nium to any customer who wilI use it for weapons purposes. It has
also been the Canadian view that in the long run a position of
special privilege for the existing nuclear weapon states will not be
tenable. It is important that such states mave towards a reduction
