STK-ID 55387

Continued from Shot No. 8434 (Part 9/15 of speech): MWS of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker delivering his speech to the United Nations Assembly on September 26, 1960. Transcript is as follows:"With Mankind waiting for us to act, what good can there come in threats to rain rockets or nuclear bombs on other countries, large or small, to dispatch so-called volunteers into situations already dangerously inflamed, to encourage political leaders to follow the line of extremism? Mankind, the peoples of all the nations, are fearful and anxious, and these fears and anxieties aggravate the tensions. Mr. President, I ask for a return immediately to the path of negotiation. It is the only course that the great powers should follow. It is incumbent on this Assembly to press for the resumption of negotiations, particularly regarding those main issues which divide the USSR and those associated with it from the western powers. That is the paramount issue of this Assembly meeting, disarmament. The Canadian government takes its stand on behalf of full disarmament, to be assured by effective control and inspection. The major powers today possess the nuclear capacity for mutual destruction and to annihilate all. We, the middle powers and the smaller powers, cannot remain silent. We would be the hopeless victims of any nuclear catastrophe that takes place. Quite apart from our instinct for self preservation, mankind knows of the futility and the wanton waste. Without a return to negotiations, we cannot hope to arrest the arms race, we cannot hope to still the processes of armaments and continuing armaments. The tragedy of the 10-Power negotiations was that the breakdown occurred at a time when there was an appreciable narrowing of the gap between the Soviet and Western positions. I wrote to Mr. Krushchev on the 30th of June. I suggested then a return to the negotiating table. The unanimous voice of the disarmament commission in that regard has been disregarded, for in August it called for the earliest possible continuance of disarmament negotiations. I believe that it is imperative that this Assembly reaffirm the appeal of the disarmament commission.It is not plans and principles which we need, we have four different disarmament plans and two sets of principles, there may be working methods that should be brought about, to be adjusted by agreement. Canada suggested the appointment of a neutral chairman, and is prepared to examine every constructive suggestion. We do not lack appropriate machinery but we do lack mutual confidence and a general..."Continued in Shot No. 8432.

DETAILS

Excerpt from
Diefenbaker's Speech at the United Nations
Location
New York (city)
Year
1960
Collection
National Film Board
Available formats
Reel 35 mm, HDCAM SR, Digital Video Disk
Shooting format
35mm fine grain comp b&w, 35mm fine grain b&w
Aspect ratio
4/3, ANAMORPHIC_4/3
Available resolutions
1920 x 1080