Parliamentary Inquiry on Dutch Nuclear Defense (Van der Deen/Visser, 1960)

Document 8 – Translation of Written Questions of Mr. Van der Deen (Pacifist Socialist member of the Second Chamber to Minister of Defense S. H. Visser, and Defense Minister Visser’s Answers of October 23 Arranged for Reading in Sequence,” enclosed with U.S. Embassy The Hague Despatch 343, circa late October 1960, Unclassified

Translation of Written Questions of Mr.. N. van der Veen (Pacifist Socialist member of the Second Chamber) to minister of Defense S. H. Visser, and Defense Minister Visser’s Answers of October 23 arranged for reading in sequence

  1. Question: Is it correct that rockets, type “Honest John,” have been shipped to the Netherlands or have already arrived in order to be stored in this country?

    Answer: It is indeed true that rockets of the type “Honest John” have been shipped to the Netherlands and have arrived here in order to complete the armament of the Royal Forces.
    .
  2. Question: is the Linister able to inform whether these rockets arc fitted for the use of atomic warhead charges’

    Answer: These rockets can be equipped with conventional as well as atomic charges.
    .
  3. Question. Are these atomic warheads on hand with the rockets and will they also be stored in the Netherlands’ If so, who is responsihle for the use of them?

    Answer: For Important military reasons the undersigned is not able to say where the atomic heads for these rockets will be stored. Concerning the use of the atomic reads the undersigned has nothing to add to what is said in the memorandum in reply regarding Chapter III of the National Budget 195U. (NOTE: This memorandum discussed the control of nuclear weapons and pointed out that in principle every member country has the right of control in using nuclear weapons, but in fact only the U.N. and U.K. have nuclear weapons. in defense of the alliance these weapons could be used only in accord with agreed strategic NATO plans in which all NATO allies participate.)
    .
  4. Question: Is the Minister able to explain why the Netherlands defense is in need of weapons of this type and why they may be useful at the present’

    Answer:     At present, weapons of this type are necessary and useful for the Neth-erlands because NATO defense plans are in part based upon arming with tactical nuclear weapons the “shield” forces, of which the Netherlands forces are part and parcel.
    .
  5. Question: Is the Minister of the opinion that these rockets, whether supplied with a charge or not, may be used for exercises 2n the Netherlands, a country with such a great density of people?

    Answer: Firing exercises with rockets, of course without nuclear head charges, are expected to be held outside the Netherlands.
    .
  6. Question: Is not the ?raster of the opinion that the storage of these weapons in our country is already too big a risk in tine of pence and ray render
    the Netherlands a direct target for a destructive attack in the event of war?

    Answer: The undersigned is of the opinion that at present the best guarantee to prevent war and an attack on the Netherlands as the building of a very effective defense system. The incorporation of the said weapons in the armament is one of the measures which is considered necessary.
    .
  7. Question: Is the Minister willing to take justifiable measures in order to have the said weapons removed from the Netherlands territory in view of the great danger for the Netherlands people?

    Answer: The foregoing shows that the undersigned finds no occasion to go further into this question.
    .
  8. Question: Is not the Minister of the opinion that the measures, meant in question 7, might be a contribution to the easing of the tonsion the world is confronted with nowadays, and that this contribution is possible, necessary, and practicable?

    Answer: The Government agrees with its allies that there are not yet symptoms of an easing of tension which might justify a weakening of NATO defense. heedless to say, this defense exclusively serves the peace and the security.

Source:

RG 59, Central Decimal Files, 1960-1963

Link:

https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/23730-translation-written-questions-mr-van-der-deen-pacifist-socialist-member-second

Internal Link:

https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/US-Embassy-Dispatch-343-Dutch-Defense-QA-1960.pdf

Date:
October 23, 1960
Categories:
Nuclear Warfare, Nuclear Weapons “on Dutch soil”
Tags:
Nuclear Weapons
Boxes:
National Security Archive
Years:
1960
Persons:
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META DATA

In a series of written questions and answers, Visser confirmed Van Der Deen’s inquiry about the deployment of Honest John rockets in the Netherlands and further acknowledged that they could be fitted with conventional or atomic weapons. Visser would not say whether atomic weapons were stored in the Netherlands but argued that “weapons of this type are necessary and useful for the Netherlands because NATO defense plans are in part based upon arming with tactical nuclear weapons.”

When Van Der Deen questioned whether the deployment of nuclear weapons would make the Netherlands “a direct target …. In the event of war,” Visser responded that possession of “said weapons” is “the best guarantee to prevent war.” He refused to consider removing the weapons from the Netherlands because “this defense exclusively serves the peace and the security.”

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