U.S. POLICY ON ARMS CUTS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28314, 27 June 1957, Page 13

U.S. POLICY ON ARMS CUTS

Conditions Set For Bomb Test Ban (NJI. Prtst Association— Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 25. The United States’ plan for a first-stage disarmament agreement with the Soviet Union made suspension of nuclear tests dependent on an agreement to cut off atomic weapons production, the Secretary of State (Mr Dulles) said today. Mr Dulles told a press conference also that such an agreement should provide for transferring nuclear materials from war stockpiles to an international atoms for peace pool. Other elements, he said, would provide for detailed inspection systems and for reductions in conventional forces. Mr Dulles said he was neither discouraged nor optimistic about the prospects of success in the United Nations Sub-committee talks on disarmament under way in London. There was evidence, he said, that the Soviet Government seemed desirous of arriving at some agreement.

Answering a question, Mr Dulles said present Government studies on the size of United States forces overseas were aimed at some modest reduction in manpower—with increases in firepower to maintain combat strength. Mr Dulles said the heavy cutback of forces in Japan did not mean that similar cuts would be made in Korea or Germany, but he said the streamlining process (more firepower and fewer men) would go on all over the world. The earliest possible time when a treaty could be worked out would be the end of this year, Mr Dulles said. Thus it could not go to the Senate for ratification before the new session beginning in January. Mr Dulles conceded that there was a certain amount of public confusion on United States policy on the suspension of nuclear weapons tests after President Eisenhower’s press conference last Wednesday. This was true because it had not been understood that United States policy required an agreement on halting the production of atomic weapons coincident with a suspension in tests — although actual halting of production might come months later. Mr Eisenhower’s remarks were taken at first as an indication that the Ury ted States might agree to a test cut-off without waiting for an agreement on an end to production. The White House issued an explanation later. Attack by Mr Gromyko Today’s press conference was dominated by questions dn disarmament, beginning with a request for Mr Dulles’s reaction to an attack on the United States in Moscow today by the Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Gromyko. Mr Gromyko particularly denounced a statement by General Lauris Norstad, United States commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Europe, respecting the ability of the Western Powers to smash the Soviet Union if the Soviet started a war.

Mr Gromyko had attacked General Norstad as a “cold war troubador” for a recent- statement before a Congressional committee when he asked for larger N.A.T.O. appropriations. Mr Dulles said Mr Gromyko’s remarks were obviously a propaganda statement, although he could not clearly diagnose the reason why the statement was made at this time.

General Norstad had made it explicitly clear that the United States and N.A.T.O. had no intention whatsoever of starting a war. The geheral had also said, that if there were a general war, only the Soviet Union would start it. And he did not think they would start it because of the consequences to themselves.

Mr Dulles said that the United States, as an outgrowth of the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Kishi, would put its defence relations with Japan on a

co-operative basis. That was the task of a new Japanese-American Committee. Mr Dulles said the United States intended to consult the Government of Japan far more than it had in the past on such mattera as the location of military bases.