PARTNERSHIP PLANS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 71, 5 January 1950, Page 5

PARTNERSHIP PLANS

ATOMIC WEAPONS PRODUCTION BRITISH PROPOSAL TO UNITED STATES (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) NEW YORK, Jan. 3. “The British Government has sent to Washington a detailed scries of proposals for the creation of la partnership among the United States, Britain and Canada on the production of atomic weapons,” says the Washington correspondent of the “New York Times.” “The memorandum, which has been well received by the State Department, the Defence Department and the Atomic Energy Commission, is understood to make the following proposals:—

“(1) The United Kingdom will agree not to produce • atomic hombs, although it may wish to continue its explorations into the possibility of developing new atomic weapons. “(2) The United Kingdom will agree, as Canada has already done, to allow its scientists to work with United States scientists on the development of atomic weapons in this country. “(3) The United States will supply ar. unstated number of atomic bombs to be stored in the United Kingdom. “.(f) British scientists will be instructed to grant the United States all the information they possess that might be useful in promoting a unified atomic weapons project in the United States, but they will do so only on the basis of a complete exchange ol atomic information by the United StcltGS. “(5) The agreement will be for three years and will be written and approved in such a way that it is not subject to various interpretations. “The most controversial part of the memorandum is that in which the British propose that they be assigned a certain number of atomic bombs to be stored in the 'United Kingdom.” The correspondent adds: “Some American officials are opposed to the placing of bombs outside North America unless there is obvious evidence of imminent war. However, there is considerable support in the United States and British Combined Chiefs of Staff for the theory that as a tactical weapons against an enemy in Europe atomic bombs should not be as far away as the,United States or Canada. ~ . “Washington officials believe that that British proposals will need the approval of a majority of both Houses of Congress. The proposals for equality in the exchange of "information and for the transfer of bombs to the United Kingdom would violate the McMahon Act. . . “One important question raised is. If atomic bombs were transferred to Britain, could they be used by the British on their own initiative or could the bombs be used only by agreement of all the parties to the pi oposed new agreement? Another question-- raised by the British proposals is: How will, any agreement among the United States, Britain and Canada be integrated into the machinery ol the North Atlantic Pact?”