RUSSIA SEEKING UNANIMITY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 47, 5 December 1946, Page 5

RUSSIA SEEKING UNANIMITY

MOLOTOV MAKES CONCESSIONS HOPE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11.5.) NEW YORK, Dec. 4. Mr Molotov told the Political and Security Committee that Russia is anxious for unanimity, and therefore would not insist on its own disarmament plan. He said that although the American proposals “were insufficiently clear, and somewhat one-sided,” Russia would accept them as a basis for discussion. Mr Molotov agreed that the veto would not apply to any system of controls and' inspection in connection with arms limitation. He made it clear that the Soviet retained the right of veto in Security Council discussions leading up to the establishment of control and inspection. “There is need to dispel an obvious misunderstanding which has arisen,” he said. “The Soviet favours the Security Council adopting measures to prohibit weapons of mass destruction, and only the principle of unanimity in the Security Council (the term the Soviet always applies to veto) can guarantee the adoption of arms reduction. Unanimity is necessary in adopting regulations for the Control Commission. The principle of unanimity lias no relevance to the work of control. 11, is wrong to say that any State which has veto has the power to prevent control and inspection. Any attempt- to prevent the carrying out of control and inspection would be a violation of the Security Council’s decision.” Sir Hartley Shawcross welcomed Mr Molotov’s statement as an important concession, and Mr Paul Hasluek (Australia) said the new Soviet policy opened the way for immediate action by the United Nations.

* Principle Accepted Proposing amendments to the American disarmament plan, Mr Molotov said the Security Council resolution, rather than international treaties, should provide for a reduction of arms. The treaties would provide excuses for delays. The American resolution should be amended to outlaw atomic weapons and other mass-de-struction weapons rather than merely control them.

Mr Molotov accepted the United States principle that the Atomic Energy Commission should continue its Work of finding a method of international control of atomic energy. Mr Molotov insisted on the Soviet proposal that the United Nations establish two commissions—one to contrpl the execution of the decision on disarmament and the other to control the. execution of the decision on the prohibition of the military use of atomic energy. Sir Hartley Shawcross summarised British policy as: (1) The atomic problem should be handled by the Atomic Energy Commission until the Commission can report to the General Assembly; (2) no partial system of disarmament should be adopted in the sense that atomic weapons would be prohibited, but other mass-destruction weapons, such as rockets, would not ; (3) any agreement to reduce armaments must be implemented by a system of control and inspection; (4) the operation of that, system must not he subject to the veto. Senator Tom Connully welcomed Mr Molotov’s declaration, and promised that the United States would give the amendments meticulous consideration. The United States insisted that there should be no interference with the Atomic Energy Commission’s work. The committee appointed a sub-com-mittee of 20 nations, including Australia, to reconcile the disarmament proposals advanced, mainly the American resolution and the Soviet amendments to it.

The Associated Press says that delegates regard Mr Molotov’s amendments as offering no serious obstacle to ultimate agreement.