Phased Nuclear Test Ban Urged

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28870, 15 April 1959, Page 13

Phased Nuclear Test Ban Urged

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) GENEVA, April 14. A Western plan to meet Soviet objections over inspection teams by bringing in a ban on nuclear tests by phases was proposed at the East-West talks on a treaty ban today. The Western proposal is that the ban should cover first atmospheric and then underwater explosions, since these are the easiest to detect. Once this was agreed, the ban would be extended and would eventually cover surface, underground and high altitude explosions, leading to a total ban on tests.

According to authoritative sources in Washington, the United States intends to carry out a series of underground** nuclear explosions to test a detection system if the Soviet Union refuses to agree to joint experiments. A proposal that the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union should hold a series of underground explosions to determine the best method of detection was submitted by the United States delegate at the talks in Geneva yesterday. The sources said that the United States would go ahead, without Soviet participation if necessary, some time after October 31 next, when its present unilateral test ban expired. The United States put into effect a one-year suspension last October when negotiations for an international test suspension opened with the Soviet Union.

Officials said that the new plan for a stage-by-stage ban of nuclear tests, reflected a major policy change aimed at breaking the present East-West deadlock. The Soviet Union has demanded the power to veto decisions made by any international organisation created to inspect a ban on all nuclear tests. The Soviet position is based on its objection to proposals that mobile inspection teams should have the unhindered right to travel in its territory to investigate reports of clandestine nuclear explosions.

Officials said that the need for mobile inspection teams would fall away under the new plan, which proposed that tests should be permitted in outer space and underground. but should be banned in the earth’s atmosphere. Mobile inspection teams would not be necessary since tests in the earth’s atmosphere produced radioactive fallout detectable by other means.

Officials also said that Soviet acceptance of the new plan would make it possible to reduce the number of permanent inspection posts required throughout the world from 180 to about 120.