U.S. BAN ON TESTS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29052, 14 November 1959, Page 13

U.S. BAN ON TESTS

Term May Be Extended

WASHINGTON, November 12.

The United States Secretary of State (Mr Christian Herter) said, today that he favoured a brief extension of the United States suspension of nuclear weapons testing beyond the end of the year while negotiations continued with Russia for an international ban. /

But Mr Herter said at a press conference that he has serious doubts about any very long extension of the ban beyond the present December 31 deadline. He spoke only of maintaining it for a matter of weeks beyond that date, the American Associated Press reported. Mr Herter said that though the United States is reviewing its world-wide defence expenditures, the Government has no present intention of changing any existing military commitments anywhere in the world. Officials had discussed the possibility that more of the cost of Western European defence might be borne by Allied countries in Europe, but there had been no decision and no discussion with Allied Governments.