TALKS ON BOMB

Press, Volume C, Issue 29609, 4 September 1961, Page 13

TALKS ON BOMB

Comment By Chen-Yi (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PEKING, September T The Chinese Foreign Minister (Marshal ChenYi) said last night that China and other Communist countries were ready "at any time to enter into negotiations on an equal footing with the Western Powers to complete agreement on disarmament and the prohibition of nuclear arms.”

Speaking at a North Vietnam Embassy reception, he said that pending an agreement, the Communist States must take all steps to reinforce their defensive forces. He hailed the Soviet Union's decision to resume testing of nuclear weapons as a step to defend world peace. He said obstacles came not from the socialist countries but from the United States. He dared the United States to destroy all nuclear arms and to accept general disarmament. Marshal Chen-Yi said the Sov’et decision to resume nuclear tests “by no means imnlies a change in the consistent stand of our socialist countries for the prohibition of nuclear weanons and general disarmament.”

In the present situation he said, the Communist countries must take every measure to strengthen their defences “in the interest of world peace aand the cause of human progress.” N.Z. Speaker

In Peking yesterday, a crowd of 1500 heard sneeches from Australian and New Zealand “neace champions.” the New China News Agency renorted. The rally was held to celebrate “the stmeess of the seventh World Congress against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs.”

The New Zealand "peace champion in Peking.” Mr Rewi Alley, said peaceloving people everywhere would be grateful to the Soviet Union, “for it had taken the nroper steps . . .

to ensure that it should not be battered down bv the bloody-minded enemies of all mankind.”

Actor’s Funeral.— The body of Charles Coburn, the actor, was privately cremated in New York on Friday, according to his wishes, his widow said yesterday. Mr Cobum died on Wednesday of a heart attack after a throat operation. He was 84.—New York. September 3.