USE OF OUTER SPACE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28742, 13 November 1958, Page 17

USE OF OUTER SPACE

Soviet Draft For U.N. Debate

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

(Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, November 12

The United Nations Political Committee was to begin a debate today on measures to limit man's conquest of outer space to peaceful ends.

Mr Valerian Zorin, the Soviet Deputy-Foreign Minister, was expected to open the discussion, introducing his delegation's proposal to establish a United Nations Agency for “international co-operation in the study of cosmic space.”

The Soviet resolution also would have the General Assembly urge a ban on the use of outer space for military purposes, and call for an undertaking by States to launch rockets into the cosmos “only under an agreed international programme.” and eliminate foreign military bases on territories of other countries.

The United States and Britain are believed likely to hold back their proposed counter-resolution until they hear what the Soviet Union has to say in amplification of its draft.

American sources said yester-i I day, however, that apart from the I Soviet insistence on bringing up the issue of foreign bases, there I was apparently not too much difference in the approach of East ; and West to the outer space ques- , tion. i The United States was understood to have sought Soviet co- | sponsorship of the proposed West--1 ern resolution. However. Mr Zorin declined, , and promptly tabled his own | Soviet draft.