U.S. Unimpressed By Soviet Arms Plan

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28130, 20 November 1956, Page 15

U.S. Unimpressed By Soviet Arms Plan

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 18. United States officials today began studying the official text of the new Soviet disarmament proposals, with the impression that the proposals offered no major new bases for summit negotiations. United States officials tended to discount the Soviet offer to discuss Mr Eisenhower’s “open, skies” inspection plan for world disarmament.

They said that the essence of the Eisenhower plan was a foolproof inspection to prevent the production and the accumulation of nuclear weapons, or concentrations for a surprise attack.

The Soviet offer to discuss aerial inspection only along a 1000-mile corridor .in Europe would foil the intent of the proposal, the officials said.

Western diplomats believe that the United States, apart from other factors, would not want a summit meeting as proposed by the Soviet Union, if only because a meeting of the heads of government of the three Western nations was needed first. United States officials also felt that, after the British and French action m Egypt, a meeting of the Western Big Three should be held befbre entering any full scale negotiations with the Soviet Union.

The “New York Times” said today that the Soviet Government knew that its latest disarmament proposals were unacceptable “for the simple reason that we have no faith in Russian sincerity.” “Any beginnings of hope that the Soviet Union was really prepared for peaceful coexistence were killed bj the Soviet bullets and tanks that killed innocent Hungarians on Hungarian soil.” the “New York Times” said. “No amount of Soviet propaganda can efface the memories of the Budapest slaughter, nor diminish our resolve never to be put in a position where we. too, may be so slaughtered without adequate defence.”'

U.S. PACIFIC FLEET

“Readiness For Emergency” HONOLULU, November 19. The Honolulu “Advertiser” said yesterday that it had learned that the United States Pacific Flett was arming itself with atomic missile and operating as “war-time ready units.” The newspaper 3aid that the Navy leaves had been either cancelled or put on a restricted basis. Discharge for key fleet personnel had been held up since the start of the Middle East crisis. Confirmation of the “Advertiser” report could not be obtained from the headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour. The newspaper said it had learned that guards had been doubled around the Pearl Harbour Naval Base.

It said the fleet was being deployed to guard against a recurrence of an attack such as the Japanese assault of December 7, 1941. The “Advertiser” said it had learned that Pacific submarines were operating with the Navy’s deadliest weapon—the

Regulus guided missile with atomic warhead—in the “ready position.” The newspaper said also that abcut 40 warships had sailed into Hawaiian waters since the Navy security blackout.

BACKING BY RUSSIA

“Prevention Of Total War” (Rec. 8 p.m.) MOSCOW, November 18. The Soviet leaders will mount an impressive campaign to back up their proposal for a limited acceptance of President Eisenhower’s “open skies” inspection plan. This proposal was a feature of the seven-point plan of disarmament and international control sent by the Soviet Union yesterday to President Eisenhower and the Prime Ministers of Britain. France. Communist China, and India. Moscow observers are convinced that the Russians will press for aerial photography up to 500 miles on either side of Europe’s East-West border in spite of an initially sceptical reaction in the West. Soviet newspapers carried the disarmament statement prominently on its front pages today beneath four and five column headlines. A Moscow Radio commentator said today the disarmament statement was aimed at preventing the outbreak of a general war.

Attitude Of Dr. Johnson

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON. November 19. Dr. Hewlett Johnson, the 82-year-old ‘‘Bed” Dean of Canterbury, told a deputation of schoolboys today that he regretted Russia’s attitude to Hungary, but added that all governments, including the British Government, made mistakes.

The boys had brought him petitions from the top forms of King’s School. Canterbury, one of Britain’s major independent schools. Dr. Johnson is chairman of the school’s governing board.

The petition deplored the Dean’s “misconceived faith in the Soviet Union.”