ARMS CUTS TALKS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28258, 22 April 1957, Page 11

ARMS CUTS TALKS

“Encouraging Signs” (N.Z. Press Association Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 21. The United States called last night _f°r continued serious effort in the Big Power disarmament talks towards bringing the East-West atomic arms race under international control. It said in a formal statement that there should be a push towards initial agreement on “a first step” of disarmament, but it emphasised that any disarmament plan would hinge on agreement on “proper safeguards for inspection and control” between the free world and the Communist The statement was issued by the State Department after an extraordinary Saturday meeting between Mr Eisenhower’s disarmament adviser, Mr Harold Stassen, the Secretary of State (Mr Dulles) and other high Government officials. The meeting was held immediately after Mr Stassen returned to Washington from the current London 'five-Power disarment talks. He said upon his arrival that the negotiations were the most serious that had been held. Many problems and difficulties remained to be solved at the London talks, Mr Stassen said. Chief topics of discussion at the State Department meeting yesterday were:— Initial reductions of armaments and manpower on a reciprocal basis. Arms inspections systems, both on the ground and in the air. The United States proposal for cutting off at a given date the production of atomic materials for use in weapons manufacture. An exchange between East and West of lists of armament 5 : and blueprints. The State Department said: “It was thought that the negotiations thus far conducted warranted a continuation of serious effort to reach initial partial agreement for a first step if proper safeguards for inspection and control are agreed to.” Officials said they saw encouraging signs that the Soviet Union might agree to open a significant part of its territory to Mr Eisenhower’s “open skies” aerial inspection plan. Mr Stassen will return to London for a resumption of the arms talks on Wednesday. Intelligence Chief Dead. —Brig-adier-General Sir George Cockerill, the British Military Intelligence chief of World War I, died in London yesterday, aged 89.—London, April 20.