WORLD : New Zealand Leader Dashes U.S. Hopes for End to A-Warship Ban

Dashing U.S. hopes, new Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer today said there will be no change under his administration in the nation’s anti-nuclear stance, which led to U.S. warships being banned from New Zealand’s ports.

Palmer also said his administration will be “less exciting” than that of his predecessor, David Lange, who resigned Monday for health reasons.

Palmer, a 47-year-old lawyer, said he pales in comparison to the colorful Lange, who for five years captured world attention by disputing with the United States and France over nuclear issues. But he promised to pursue the Lange vision of an independent New Zealand.

The United States welcomed Palmer’s appointment, noting that he had spent considerable time in the United States as an academic, and some officials privately expressed hope that the nation’s anti-nuclear policy would be altered.