ATOMIC ENERGY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 143, 30 March 1948, Page 3

ATOMIC ENERGY

RUSSIA’S REFUSAL TO CO-OPERATE Joint Statement Issued (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright). (Rec. 10.5.) NEW YORK, March 29. The East; and West controversy over plans to prevent atomic energy from beinj 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. The ultimatum was contained in a statement prepared jointly by Canada, China, France and Britain, with tacit American approval, and delivered to M. Gromyko in committee by Mr Richard Miles, .the British delegate. The statement says the Soviet proposals for international control of atomic energy are useless, and will not, eliminate the danger of atomic war. Having examined the Soviet proposals exhaustively, these four countries find that there is no point in discussing them further. Mr Miles, after reviewing the negotiations of the last two years, concluded : “The United Nations Atomic Energy Commission cannot endorse any scheme which would not prevent a diversion of atomic material, which provides no effective means for the detecting of clandestine activities and which has no provision- for the \ prompt and effective enforcement of action. The Soviet Government has not only proposed a scheme that is fundamentally inadequate for the control of- atomic energy, but at the same time has made the over-riding stipulation that they will not agree to -establish even such . a feeble scheme of control until all atomic v weapons have been prohibited and destroyed. It is completely unrealistic to expect any nation to V renounce atomic weapons without any assurance that all nations will be prevent* ed from producing them.” Mr Miles, in the name of the Hour countries, accordingly asked the committee to resolve “that no useful purpose can be served” by further discussion of the Soviet proposals. PROPOSED CONTROL SYSTEM DISCUSSION TO BE DROPPED (Rec. 12.25) NEW YORK, Mar. 29. A majority of the United Nation’s Atomic Energy Working Committee members to-day supported the reconv mendation by Britain, France, Canada and China that the latomic working committee discussion of the Russian proposal for a world atomic control system be discontinued. 0 -- ° 7 The United States, Belgium, Colombia an d Argentina backed the recommendation. Britain and the United States demanded an immediate voto but dropped the request when Mr 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 present stockpiles be destroyed, after which an inspection system to safeguard the treaty’s effectiveness would be set up. The United States plan calls for an international control system under which atomic bomb production would be prohibited only after an adequate inspection system was established. Mr Gromyko td-day declared that s the United States had blocked a compromise becadse “in reality it is ' against the prohibition of atomic bombs.”