SUMMIT TALKS URGED

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29024, 13 October 1959, Page 25

SUMMIT TALKS URGED

Peace Meeting In Melbourne

(N.Z Press Association —Convrtphu MELBOURNE, October 12. Australia could help humanity and make the summit talks a success by pressing for peace, the Deputy-Leader of the Federal Opposition (Mr Arthur Calwell) said yesterday.

“We could never live through another war," Mr Calwell told a meeting in Melbourne organised by the Victorian Labour Party to press for peace. The crowd—more than 1000— was told the meeting was also organised to commemorate the dropping of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima.

Mr Calwell said that if another war came, America and Russia could destroy each other. “But we'd be destroyed by the fall-out even if the bombs didn’t fall here,” he said. He said the Leader of the Federal Opposition (Dr. Evatt) had first advocated summit talks 10 years ago.

Another speaker at the meeting, Mr E. Ward, M.P., said the Labour Party wanted an agreement to outlaw nuclear weapons. Too many people wanted the Cold War to continue because of profits from armaments. ‘I won’t be satisfied until the stockpiles are destroyed,” he said. Speaking of the Australia and New Zealand Peace Congress in Melbourne next month, Mr Ward said that if President Eisenhower and Mr Macmillan could meet Mr Khrushchev, the Labour Party should be able to meet others and discuss problems of peace. The Labour Party had pledged its support to the congress. There had been suggestions that it was Communist-inspired. “They’re funny-looking Communists to me.’’ he said.

Clergymen, scientists and others were meeting because they wanted peace.