“Russia Will Not Risk War”

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29222, 4 June 1960, Page 13

“Russia Will Not Risk War”

(Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 2. The United States Secretary of Defence, Mr Thomas Gates, does not believe that the Soviet Union would risk a general war by firing missiles at Allied bases suspected of launching spy planes over Russian borders.

Mr Gates told the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee today at its closed-door investigation of the summit collapse that he thought the Soviet threat to shoot at any such base was part of a “stepped-up cold war of aggressive propaganda.” Mr Gates said: "I think he (Mr Khrushchev) must take the responsibility of starting a limited war, or very likely of starting a general war, if he hits one of our Allied bases for any reason.” In testimony rriade public after it had been scanned by censors, he said: “I doubt very much that they are willing to take it now I think they absolutely know they will commit suicide the moment they try it because I think they are fully informed in every way possible about the practical exact defence posture of the United States.” Mr Gates previously had testified that so far as he knew, there was never any discussion in the Administration of suspending spy plane flights over Russia as the date for the summit conference approached.

Mr Gates also said that he ordered a world-wide military alert from Paris, after learning that Mr Khrushchev intended to wreck the summit conference. He said he believed bis action was “prudent" “I consider the order proper and absolutely essential,” he said. “In similar circumstances I

would take exactly the same action.” Another United States defence alert—similar to the one ordered on May 15—was ordered last night and will last for several days, Mr Gates said. Earlier, Mr Gates disclosed that the U-2 flights provided the United States with secret information about Russian atomic weapons, missiles, submarines, planes and airfields. He said the information brought back by the planes was vital information which was used by the Department of Defence.