ATOMIC WAR

Grey River Argus, 4 October 1948, Page 5

ATOMIC WAR

DANGER DEBATED RIVAL PROPOSALS FRENCH COMPROMISE PLAN OPPOSED BY SOVIET MUTUAL SUSPICIONS IN U.N.O. ASSEMBLY (N.Z.P.A. —Reuter Cable). (Received October 3, at 9.45 p.m.) PARIS, October 2. Tn the United Nations Political Committee, M. Ramadier (France) called for an investigation to

Alight be acceptable to both the East and the West, discover precisely what nations possessed the atom

bomb. He suggested a compromise which) he said,

CANADIAN STATEMENT General McNaughton, President of the Canadian Atomic Energy Control Board, opening the debate said: New atomic bomb far more powei’ful than those dropped on Japan, are capable f bringing to an end civilisation as we know it. The United States was the only nation in the world with enough bombs to wage an atomic war. He hoped they would create the basis for resumed negotiations Detween the East and West. He praised the United States plan for international control of atomic energy, and said that the Russian plan would not provide adequate safeguards. He said: Control is envisaged by the Soviet plan would merely seriously reduce the military strength of the United States, which is the only nation in possession of atomic bombs at least in any amount capable of being used for an atomic war. Canada asked the Political Committee recognise ‘‘the grave dangers to international peace and security” resulting from the lack of atomic energy control. Canada, he said blamed Russia for the absence of control.- He urged the U.N.O. General Assembly to approve the United States plan for atomic control,,, and urged all United Nations members to accept the plan as the basis for the development of internatioinal control. The United States delegate (Mr Warren Austin) criticised the Soyienlan for outlawing the bomb without effective international control Slow progress was not the fault of the West, but of Russia “Fear has supplanted hope because the Soviet Union insists on placing its sovereignly above the security and survival of all," he said. “We must have some collective effort t 0 hit this atomic discovery from death to life. If the United States alone controlled atomic energy we could have a relatively brief term of security Only by international safeguards against the use of atomic energy for destructive purposes can we secure long-term security. _ t He said that the United States offer to place its present monopoly ot atomic energy development under international control with adequate security safeguards still stood. Iho United States was willing to submit tn international control and ,inspection because Americans ' wanted peace for the world, for themselves, and for their children. RUSSIAN DECLARATION M. Vyshinsky (Soviet) said Russia totally rejected the United States control plan for the atomic bomb and the Canadian resolution for Its adoption. "The Soviet rejects this plan of surrender to the difficulties before this Assembly,” said said. “We are ashamed to see a majority in (his committee prepared to accept this surrender.” ’ M. Vyshinsky, his voice rising to.?, high pitch of excitement, said: "Never never will we be tricked into ac-

ceptin°c.the Atomic Commissions find- ■' ' 's'. ft international control >u propose, but American control, e are willing to relinquish a degree our national sovereignty for th? ke of humanity as a whole, but we ' ust be sure that it will really be in ■'ie interests of humanity.” He referred to exclusion of Soviet % u'nd Eastern European candidates from almost all the officers of the General Assembly. He said: ‘‘Look at the flagrant absence of the spirit of co-operation in this Assembly, in which only one section of the world is represented in its offices. If in such an important ciuestion minority rights are violated how can we be sure that in other international body our rights will be represented?” He added: The United Stales' sole desire is to maintain as Jong as possible its control with " view to using it to coerce other countries. The United States thinks that the atom bomb is its ace. The United States is pursuing a dictatorial policy. “Thev want to keepn their stockpiles of atomic bombs under the illusion that they hold a monopoly, in this domain. This illuson is entertained by Governor Thomas Dewey,., who, in a recent Presidential campaign speech, boasted that the United States still held the atom bomb secret. The United States’ refusal to destr''-- their rdom bomb and the mad armaments race they have begun to show clearly their policy to keep the atom bomb to themselces to enable then to pursue their expansionist policy.' The United Nations must take immediate action to destroy all atom atom bomb to themselves to enable destruction, and lift from humanity the awful’fear of them.”

BRITISH VIEW Mr H. McNeil (Britain) replying to M. Vynshinky’s rejection of the plan for international control of atomic energy, said Russia was frightening mankind with the possibility of an atomic war. He added that Russia was guilty of robbing mankind of the peaceful uses of atomic energy. Mr McNeil supported the Canadian resolution. He said there was no middle way which could fruitfully be taken. Historians, if atomic weapons were used, would have to go back to the raging plagues of the Middle Ages to find a comparison. He doubted whether Britain could accept the Syrian amendment. Mr McNeil added: “To destroy the plants in the United States and England about whose existence we make no secret, would not create world confidence. We must try to get rid of confusion—the spearnoint of the Soviet propaganda drive—-

and realise that certainty that there will not be an atomic war does noi rest on the destruction of the bombs in the United Stafces, the Soviet Union, or the United Kingdom, but only in the assurance that no one is manufacturing the atomic bomb “We do not know whether Russia has the atomic bomb or not. I am not saying that we have a right to know”, said Mr McNeil. “On the other hand, everyone knows that the United States can make bombs and* has made them. Everyone knows that the United States is ready to give her ‘know how’ to the rest of thp world. This is a great sacrifice by America. I am sure, -if the facts were made known, people anywhere, no matter what their Governments might choose, would grasp the opportunity to outlaw atomic war, “It is not only fear which motivates people on this question. It is the conscience of the people of the t world, who want peace with decency, peace with some kind of peace of mind, peace with a wholesome conscience”. OTHER PROPOSALS Syria tabled an amendment to the Canadian resolution calling upon the Atomic Energy Commission to continue its meetings to:' , (1) Draw up a treaty to eliminate atomic weapons and all other weapons adaptable to mass destruction from national armaments. (2) Establish an international control agency to protect, by inspection, the complying States against violations.

(3) To ensure the use of atomic energy only for peaceful purposes.

THE FRENCH ATTITUDE M. Ramadier said that the Soviet had made demands for the destruction of atomic bombs before any other measure of control could be satisfied, by immediately and automatically handing over to an international control agency all of the existing stock piles of bombs. M. Ramadier said: “The ideal of any international organisation becomes nothing but a shadow while an atomic menace exists. ’We cannot for a moment abandon the pursuit of the task that we have undertaken on the noble initiative of the United Stntcs. “The Soviet plan is, in part, obscure, and, for the rest, it is inadequate. When M. Vyshinsky says that the majority plan is inadequate, taen he is condemning his own plan, which is only an abridgement of the majority plan”. M. Ramadier said that, under the Soviet plan, there would have to be long legal procedures to decide whether suspicion was legitimate, or was merely restlessness on the part of the suspecting nation. He remarked: “The investigation must be permanent and must be universal. The moment of the destruction of the atom bombs and of the entry of international control will mark the entry of the world to an international stage”. M. Ramadier added: “An international atomic control agency would become the owner of all of the stockpiles from the moment of its creation. I refuse to believe that it is impossible to build an international agency in such a way as to dissipate suspicion. If no control agency can be created, the United Nations will be the first vcitim of an explosion”. M. Ramadier said that France supported the Belgian proposal that a sub-committee should explore every possibility of reaching an agreement with the Soviet.

RUSSIAN OBJECTION TO FRENCH VIEW M. Vyshinsky, in reply to M. Ramadier, said that M. Ramadier’s whole speech gave an impression that it was “guided by his American i'nspirers”. He said: , “It was an apologia, inadequate, inefficient, and vague. We have never said that our proposals were exhaustive. We have nvver said that they were more than a preliminary basis on which to build a complete structure, just as we suppose that the American proposal is not more than a preliminary basis . M Vyshinsky denied that the Russian plan did not provide for inspection as to what nations hold stocks of atom bombs. He said that the Russian plan called,, for a periodic inspection. He said this does not mean that there could not be special instructions, whenever necessary. M Vyshinsky then proposed tnat the United Nations Atomic Emergency Commission and the Security Council Should draft two conventions one prohibiting atomic weapons, and the nther setting up control over atomic energy these to be signed and put into force at the same time. He proposed also that the Security Council and the Atomic Energy Commission continue negotiations on atomic 6 M Vynshinsky said that the questinr, of Bie Five unanimity was a basic One B S He protested against what he termed American attempts supthe majority of the Atomic Energy Commission to “circumvent the Security Council. . He said that Russia rejected a Canadian proposal calling on the General Assembly to pronounce a world the East-West deadlock on the atomic control efforts. The committee adjourned until Monday. — —