Western Decision To Renew Atomic Talks With Soviet

Grey River Argus, 9 October 1948, Page 5

Western Decision To Renew Atomic Talks With Soviet

PARIS, October 7. The Western Powers have decided to resume direct negotiations with Russia on the matter of atomic energy.

The British United Press reports this. The Western Powers have now abandoned the original Canadian proposal to suspend indefinitely such negotiations with the Russians, and seek instead the United Nations General Assembly’s approval of a plan for international control.

This reversal gf attitude came as it grew more ana more obvious that the United States would be defeated if it sought to' press for the suspension of negotiations. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, M. Manuilsky, said that whenever there appeared to be any approach towards a possibility of agreement on atomic energy, they encountered statements by the United States which showed a panicky dread of a rapproachment. U.S. WANTS AGREEMENT

Mr Warren Austin (United States) retorted that it was silly to make a claiam that the United States opposed agreement. “That is what we seek, or we wouldn’t be here”, he said. Australia proposed terms of reference for the sub-committee —that it should examine the proposals already made and attempt to reach an agreement for submission to the general committee. This was adopted, no delegation voting against it. The Political Committee’s subcommittee on atomic energy consists of the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, Canada, Brazil, India, Sweden, the Ukraine and Ecuador. The sub-committee will meet tomorrow morning.