Soviet Criticism Of U.S. Talks Proposal

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28263, 29 April 1957, Page 9

Soviet Criticism Of U.S. Talks Proposal

(Rec. 8 p.m.) VIENNA, April 27. A Soviet deputy Premier, Mr Anastas Mikoyan, today criticised as insulting the terms of a proposal by the United States Secretary of State, Mr Dulles, for FourPower talks. Mr Mikoyan left Vienna today in a Soviet plane after a five-day visit to Austria. Answering a question Mr Mikoyan said: “I must opfenly say the Dulles speech was bad. Can one seriously consider an invitation to a conference made with such conditions? Such an invitation is not serious—it is even insulting.” [Mr Dulles said last Monday that the United States would welcome another conference with Russia if the Russians showed they were sincere and not just trying to gather ’ steam for a new propaganda drive.] Mr Mikoyan said: “Who gave Dulles the right to make conditions? We are not a defeated nation. Not only do we need peace but they need it too. “But the new weapons now being developed cannot be hidden. A hydrogen bomb cannot be hidden when it is brought to explosion. Therefore our military

power is net for aggression and fighting but for defence. “The majority of the peoples have confidence in us and we are prepared to try to persuade those who do not yet trust us.” In reply to a question on the restriction of experiments with atom bombs Mr Mikoyan said the prevention of new experiments would only be a half step. “What is the good of stopping experiments when already tested models are daily being produced which are quite sufficient to allow a war to be begun without any further experiments? “The object of new experiments now is mainly commercial—to produce cheaper bombs. But the force of those bombs already invented is so great that nothing worse can be imagined.” Mr Mikoyan said that the Soviet Union was prepared to suggest a programme for the gradual elimination of the danger of an atom war.

“For example the first step would be to stop experiments and to agree not to use atom weapons in a future war. The next step would be to stop the use and production of atomie bombs. The third step could be the destruction of all atom bombs oat present in

existence and the use of the energy they contain for peaceful purposes.” Mr Mikoyan said in reply to a question on the possible solution of the problems of Central Europe: “The situation is complicated. Some countries are firmly enrolled in the N.A.T.O. camp. Others are just as firmly in the Warsaw Pact camp. “But we have proposed a way out. Let us begin with Central Europe. The States which are in N.A.T.O. or the Warsaw Pact can stay in for the time being but begin with the control of armaments, the reduction of armaments and the creation cf mutual understanding. Step by step, thus, the very foundations of the N.A.T.O. and Warsaw Pacts would be destroyed. “The above proposal shows the way out for the other states—but I cannot say it is our idea—it wag proposed by Sir Anthony Eden. It is a realistic idea and we support it,” he said.