ARMS CONTROL PLAN

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27912, 8 March 1956, Page 13

ARMS CONTROL PLAN

Offer To Soviet By

Eisenhower

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 8 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, March 6.

President Eisenhower has written to the Soviet Prime Minister, Marshal Bulganin, saying that the United States would agree to ban producing atomic and hydrogen bombs if Russia would help to establish a satisfactory arms inspection system. Marshal Bulganin interviewed in Moscow said that he found Mr Eisenhower’s letter “a very interesting letter and a very good one.” “I hope that this correspondence will continue for a long time” said Marshal Bulganin. He said he hoped to reply to Mr Eisenhower’s letter as soon as possible. “I received it only yesterday and it needs much study,” he said. Mr Eisenhower’s letter was bis promised reply to Marshal Bulganin’s earlier letter in which the Soviet leader had criticised the President’s “open skies” plan for arms inspection.

The new United States proposal, as set out in the President's letter, specifled that any atomic arms halt would have to involve “safe-guarded arrangements.”

Mr Eisenhower also stated that his plan would take effect only after a combination of his “open skies” arms inspection plan and the Soviet Union's ground inspection proposal was in satisfactory operation. Mr Eisenhower said his proposed ban on nuclear weapons production, coupled with his earlier plan for joint contributions of atomic materials to an international agency, would reverse the present trend towards everincreasing atomic weapons overhanging the world. He recognised the problems, but said the risks involved in failing to control atomic weapons, made it imperative to overcome the difficulties involved. “With genuine efforts on both sides. I feel confident we can succeed in this endeavour.” he told Marshal Bulganin. Mr Eisenhower said the United States would continue to hold its nuclear weapons “not for aggression . . . but as a contribution towards world stability in this transitional period.” Friendship Pact Rejected While the President’s letter was friendly in tone, he again politely rejected Moscow’s renewed bid for a 20-year United States-Soviet friendship pact. Mr Eisenhower said his opposition to the pact was generally the same as his previous rejection, which was based on grounds that such a pact would not in itself solve critical East-West problems.

But the President told Marshal Bulganin today he would continue to study the plan and might communicate again with him later on this matter. The President's heart attack had prevented an early reply to Marshal Bulganin’s letter of September 19 and Mr Eisenhower had sent Marshal Bulganin an interim letter.

The Soviet Union so far has resisted the United States position because it puts arms inspection first Moscow has called for an immediate reduction of East-West armed manpower and a ban on the use of nuclear weapons.

The President said his general idea was that disarmament should involve primarily though not exclusively a limit on armaments rather than men. He said that arms were more subject to supervision and in view of current tensions, particularly in the Far East, it might be difficult to reach agreement on the level of military forces now.

The President praised Marshal Bulganin for his agreement on the need for safeguards against surprise attack. He noted with pleasure that he was credited by the Soviet Premier with a sincere desire to find ways to settle the arms problem. A Moscow message says that after Marshal Bulganin had made his comments on the President's letter, he was asked whether he would like to visit the United States. He replied jokingly he would welcome such a visit though he would be unable to go “so long as they require Soviet citizens to be fingerprinted.” The United States ambassador, Mr Charles Bohlen, who yesterday delivered Mr Eisenhower’s latest letter at the Kremlin was also at the Kremlin reception today in honour of the Danish Prime Minister, Mr H. G. Hansen.