PREMIERS’ CALL FOR DISARMING

Press, Volume C, Issue 29467, 20 March 1961, Page 15

PREMIERS’ CALL FOR DISARMING

Communique Lays Down Principles LONDON, March 18. The Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference will go down as the most momentous in the association’s history. Overshadowed throughout its ten-days of work by the quarrel over South Africa’s racial policy, the conference was also unique in producing for the first time a joint approach by all the 13 nations to the crucial problem of world disarmament. The climax of the conference was the dramatic decision of South Africa to withdraw its application for continued membership after it becomes a Republic on May 31.

Political sources in London noted that in a special statement on the vital topic of disarmament, the Commonwealth conference proposed six guiding principles for total world-wide disarmament under effective international inspection, supervision and control. They said that the six principles were enunciated in an effort to reconcile differences in present Soviet Bloc and Western disarmament plans. The sources said that the Commonwealth’s “skeleton” disarmament plan could become for all delegates at the United Nations a valuable framework on which to base future East-West disarmament negotiations. The Commonwealth leaders were believed to have agreed that China must be brought into any new EastWest disarmament talks at some stage. But the conference’s final communique, issued last night, did not specifically mention the Peking Government by name. MACMILLAN PLAN The sources observed that the Commonwealth conference had supported a proposal of the British Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan) that, side by side with political negotiations. experts should start working out details of the inspection systems required for the measures of disarmament applicable to each stage. The proposal was first made by Mr Macmillan at the United Nations General Assembly in September last. The communique said: “It had been agreed that on this occasion the Prime Ministers would concentrate their main attention on a limited number of specific problems which are currently of common concern to them all—namely, disarmament, the structure of the United Nations and certain constitutional problems affecting the Commonwealth itself. “At the outset of the meeting, however, the Prime Ministers held a general review of the international situation as a whole, in order to set these particular problems in the perspective of current world events. EVENTS IN CONGO I “They also considered, in the course of their meeting, recent developments in the Congo and in South-east Asia. “The Prime Ministers reaffirmed the support of their Government for the efforts of the United Nations to restore order in the Congo and to secure the independence and integrity of the republic. “They deplored outside intervention in the Congo and recognised that many of the problems which had arisen were due to such intervention. “They considered that the United Nations forces in the Congo should be strengthened and that the Security Council resolution of February 21 should be fully implemented. “The Prime Ministers noted with concern the situation which had developed in Laos. They expressed the hope that the parties would be able to reconcile their differences, that intervention from outside would cease, and that Laos would be enabled to enjoy an independent, neutral and peaceful existence. DISARMAMENT “The Prime Ministers held a full discussion on the problem of disarmament. “They recognised that this was the most important question facing the world today, and considered that a favourable opportunity was now at hand for a fresh initiative towards a settlement of it. "They agreed that the aim

should be to achieve general and complete disarmament, subject to effective inspection and control, on the general lines indicated in the statement in an annex to the communique.

“The Prime Ministers recalled the resolution on general and complete disarmament which was adopted unanimously at the 14th session of the General Assembly. “They agreed that every effort should be made to implement this resolution by agreement between the major Powers, and that further negotiations for this purpose were necessary. Certain proposals designed to promote such negotiations have been out by various countries before the United Nations. TEST BAN TALKS “The Prime Ministers expressed their hope that the negotiations on the cessation of nuclear weapons tests, which were due to re-open at Geneva on March 21, would lead to the early conclusion of an agreement on this subject. Such an agreement, apart from its importance in itself, would provide a powerful impetus towards agreement on disarmament generally.” The annex on disarmament said:— “Aim.— (l) The aim must be to achieve total worldwide disarmament, subject to effective inspection and control. . ~ “(2) In view of the slaughter and destruction experienced in so-called ‘conventional’ wars, and of the difficulty of preventing a conventional war, once started, from developing into a nuclear war. our aim must be nothing less than the complete abolition of the means of waging war of any kind. “Principles.— (3) An agreement for this purpose should be negotiated as soon as possible. on the basis of the following principles:— “(a) All national armed forces and armaments must be reduced to the levels agreed to be necessary for internal security "(b) Once started, the process of disarmament should be continued without interruption until it is completed, subject to verification at each stage that all parties are duly carrying out theii undertakings. "(c) The elimination of nuclear and conventional armaments must be so phased that at no stage will any country or group of countries obtain a significant military advantage. "(d) In respect of each phase there should be established. by agreement, effective machinery of inspection which should come into operation simultaneously with the phase of disarmament to which it relates. "(e) Disarmament should be carried out as rapidly as possible in progressive stages, within specified periods of time. "(f) At the appropriate stage, a substantial and adequately armed military force should be established, to prevent aggression and enforce observance of the disarmament agreement: and an international authority should be created, in association with the United Nations, to control this force and to ensure that it is not used for any purpose inconsistent with the Charter. ”4. On the basis of the above principles, it should be possible, given goodwill on both sides, to reconcile the present differences of approach between the different olans put forward. "Negotiations. (5) The principal military powers should resume direct negotiations without delay in close contact with the United Nations, which is responsible for disarmament under the Charter. Since peace is the concern of the whole world, other nations should also be associated with the disarmament negotiations, either directly or through some special machinery to be set up by the United Nations, or by both methods. “(6) Side by side with the political negotiations, experts should start working out the details of the inspection systems required for the measures of disarmament applicable to each stage, in accordance with the practice adopted at the Geneva nuclear tests conference. “(7) Every effort should be made to secure rapid agreement to the permanent banning of nuclear weapons tests by all nations and to arrangements for verifying observance of the agreement. Such an agreement is urgent, since otherwise further countries

may soon become nuclear Powers, which would increase the danger and further complicate the problem of disarmament. Moreover, an agreement on nuclear tests, apart from its direct advantages. would provide a powerful phsychological impetus to agreement over the wider field of disarmament. “(8) Disarmament without inspection would be as unacceptable as inspection without disarmament. Disarmament and inspection are integral parts of the same question and must be negotiated together: and both must be made as complete and effective as is humanly possible ft must, however, be recognised that no safeguards can provide 100 per cent, protection against error or treachery. Nevertheless, the risks involved in the process of disarmament must be balanced against the risks involved in the continuance of the arms race. “(9) It is arguable whether the arms race is the cause or the result of distrust between nations. But it is clear that the problems of disarmament and international confidences are closely linked. Therefore while striving for the abolition of armaments, all nations must actively endeavour to reduce tension by helping to remove other causes of friction and suspicion." U.N. CHANGES The main communique said: “The Prime Ministers considered the various proposals which have recently been put forward for changes in the structure of the United Nations—including, in particular, the structure of its councils, the position of the Secretary-General and the organisation of the Secretariat. They recognised that such changes could only be made with general consent. “They agreed that, whatever adjustments might be made, it remained vitally important to uphold the purnoses and principles of the United Nations Charter and to preserve the international and independent character of the Secretariat.