Mr K Says Russia Has Atom Submarine

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29342, 22 October 1960, Page 16

Mr K Says Russia Has Atom Submarine

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MOSCOW, October 20. The Soviet Union has atompowered submarines armed with rockets, Mr Khrushchev said today when addressing a meeting of 12,000 workers on his journey to the United Nations. He served this notice on American generals and admirals in connexion with reports that the Pentagon had decided to send submarines armed with missiles and nuclear weapons to the shores of the Soviet Union.

Dealing with United StatesSbvieit relations, he said: “We are not to blame” for the deterioration.

Mr Khrushchev’s statement that Russia had nuclear submarines armed with rockets followed reports earlier this year that Russia was building three atomicpower submarines of the 3000-ton class, British United Press said. But today was the first time that the submarines’ existence had been officially disclosed. Mr Khrushchev suggested that participation by the Heads of State or Government should become a standard procedure in the work of the United Nations General Assembly. He said that if the Heads of Government at the extraordinary session of the Assembly—which it was necessary to call next spring-agreed in principle on the solution of the question of general and complete disarmament, they could indicate the direction for the work of the 15-naition disarmament committee.

Mr Khrushchev said that the new proposals of the Western Powers, submitted to the General Assembly for consideration, “are an ill omen for the future.” These proposals showed that the Western Powers still refused to approach seriously the solution of the disarmament problem and that they were continuing to use disarmament talks to cover up the policy of the arms race, he said. He repeated that it had become necessary to introduce changes in the structure of the United Nations to reflect the new balance of forces between the Socialist,

imperialist and neutralist States. Referring to the German problem, he said it must be solved and added: “Evidently, it must be salved in 1961.”

Mr Khrushchev said that the Soviet Government agreed with the statement by Mr Macmillan at the Conservative Party conference in favour of talks on disputed issues to ease tensions. Mr Khrushchev proposed the holding of an extraordinary General Assembly next year to discuss the question of disarmament. This could be followed by the meeting of a smaller gathering of Heads of Government. Mr Khrushchev proposed convening a summit conference in 1961 to deal with the question of Berlin and Germany. “We propose the convening of a summit conference after the American election to solve the problem of Germany and to solve as well the Berlin question,” he said.