Soviet Attacks U.S. At Geneva

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 15

Soviet Attacks U.S. At Geneva

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright) GENEVA, June 15.

The Soviet Union today blamed United States “aggression” in Vietnam for lack of progress in East-West disarmament talks in Geneva.

Mr Alexei Roschin, the chief Soviet delegate, called for the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. But observers noted that he did not link this demand directly with progress in the talks, which hqve already

dragged on for more than four years. However, Mr Roschin told the meeting that there could be no treaty to stop the spread of nuclear weapons as long as the United States continued its military operations in Vietnam. Such a treaty is the main issue before the conference.

Mr Roschin’s speech—one of the most bitter yet delivered in the four-year-old conference—was immediately denounced by United States chief negotiator, Mr William Foster, as a regrettable “propaganda blast.” Mr Roschin accused the United States of duplicity in sending more troops to Vietnam for what he called a merciless campaign against freedom-loving Vietnamese people, while resuming talks about peace in Geneva. No Progress

Washington thus increased the arms race, he said, and was responsible for prospects of no progress in Geneva. The Soviet delegate’s predecessor, Mr Semyon Tsarapkin, had assured the conference

earlier this year that the Vietnam conflict, though regrettable from his government’s point of view, should not be allowed to disturb the negotiations in Geneva. Mr Tsarapkin has since been appointed Ambassador to West Germany.

When Mr Roschin took over more than two months ago, critical remarks about the United States role In Vietnam began cropping up in his statements and those of the delegates from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Rumania.

But these remarks, though sometimes stinging, were short and mild compared with the Soviet delegate’s long and bitter statement today.