ATOMIC WEAPON CONTROL

Chronicle (Levin), 8 September 1947, Page 5

ATOMIC WEAPON CONTROL

(N.Z.P.A.-

Reuter >

Russia Thinks Prohibition Is Urgent Task

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Beceived Sunday,' 7.30 p.m. NEW YOBK, S^pt. 6. Tke Soyieti's policy regardiiig control' of- atomic weapons was disclosed'tod.ay by Mr. Uromyko. It may b$ sjimmed up, as.:— r Fir&tly: Russia ipsjsts 0 a tke right of veto on atomic questicns. Secondly: Russia demands- that the Security Couneil' decide 011 ihe question of sanctions agaiirsi ' violators of the proposed convention governing 'the prohibition of atomic weapons. ' Thirdly: Russia still considers the • immediate prohibition of atomic weapons is the nrgent task. The policy was ex.plained in Soviet answers to questions submitted by Sir Alexander Cadogan oh August 11 and the replies were given as the United Nations Atomic Energy Gommission was hastening to complete its second report to the Security Couneil, but they are not expected to play any part in the report which is virtually complete. Aslced whether the Soviet maintained its view that the prohibition and destruction of atomic weapons must be the subject of a separate agreement to be coneludecl before any agreement on* con- - trol, Mr. Gromyko answered: The Soviet has considerecl and continues to consider the prohibition of atomic weapons and the conclusion of an appropriate convention to this end as a foremost and, urgent task in the establishment of the international control of atomic energy. After the conclusion of the convention on the prohibition of atomic weapons. another convention can and must be concluded to provide for the creation of an International Control Commjssion and for- the establishment of other measures of control and inspection ensuring the fulfilment of the convention on the, prohibition of atomic weapons." Giving the Soviet 's coneept of the periodic inspection of facilities for producing atomic energy, Mr. Gromyko stated : ' ' This mean& a periodieal inspection of all faeilities from mines to plants, for the production of nuclear fuel. The Inspection should not necessarily imply the carrying out of an investigation at regular intervals lixed beforehand but can he carried out by a decision of the International Control Commission aecording to neeessity." Defining what the Soviet considered would be reasonable grounds for suspicion warranting special investigafion of a nation 's atomic energy activities, Mr. Gromyko said they could be reports from oue or several governments or eonclusions- reached by the Control Commission itself. The basis- for the Control Commission 's eonclusions might be a dis-, crepancy between the nuclear fuel available and the accounting date, and reports by international insiDectors. Regarding the use of the veto in the Security Couneil 's decisions on sanctions against violators of the atomic energy conventions, Mr. Gromyko stated: "The Soviet proposal should be understood in the sense that sanctions against violators of the convention on th,e prohibition of atomic weapons are subject to decisions by the Security Couneil only. As is known the procedure of adoption by the Couneil of the decisions on sanctions aa well as other important decisions relating to the maintenance of international peace has been defined in Article 27 of the United Nations Charter (veto. article)." Mr. GrQmyko contended that even minor sanctions. must be subject to the vete provision.