SOVIET “ON THE SPOT”

Grey River Argus, 31 March 1948, Page 5

SOVIET “ON THE SPOT”

NEW YORK, March 29.

The East-West controversy over the plans to prevent atomic energy from being used for war came near to breaking point when Russia was told in the Atomic Working Committee to-day that there was no point in continuing the talks unless she was prepared to co-operate with the majority. This ultimatum was contained in a statement prepared jointly by Canada, China. France and Britain, with tacit American approval and delivered to M. Gromyko in the committee by Mr. Richard Miles, the British delegate. The statement says the Soviet proposals for the international control of atomic energy are useless and will not eliminate the danger of an atomic war. Having examined tht Soviet proposals exhaustively, these four countries find that there is no point in discussing them further. The majority of the United Nations Atomic Energy Working Committee members supported the t ecommendation.

The United States, Belgium. Colombia and Argentina backed the recommendation. Britain and the United States demanded an immediate vote. They drapped the request when M. Gromyko asked for more time. The committee will consider the issue on April 5. Russia wants an immediate treaty outlawing all atomic bombs and requiring that the present stockpiles be destroyed, after which an inspection system to safeguard the treaty’s effectiveness would be set tin.

The United States plan calls for an immediate control system, under which atomic bomb production would be prohibited only after an adequate inspection system was established. M. Gromyko declared that the United States hgd blocked a compromise because “in reality it is against the prohibition of" atomic bombs.”