Soviet Moratorium Plan Rejected

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29724, 18 January 1962, Page 10

Soviet Moratorium Plan Rejected

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) GENEVA, January 17. The United States and Britain yesterday formally rejected a Soviet demand for an uncontrolled moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. The Soviet proposal was submitted two months ago to the three-power nuclear test ban talks which resumed yesterday, the Associated Press reported.

The Soviet suggestion, which virtually ended the negotiations, was criticised by Mr Charles C. Stelle. of the United States, and Sir Michael Wright, of Britain. Conference sources said the two Western delegates formally notified the Soviet negotiator (Mr Semyon K. Tsarapkin) that their Governments would not accept the Soviet proposal. The plan submitted after the unilateral resumption of Soviet nuclear tests last year provided for a pledge the three nuclear Powers, and France, to conduct no tests. But it made no provisions for international test ban controls. British Attitude Sir Michael Wright formally rejected the Soviet proposal as totally inadequate, an authoritative source said. He and Mr Stelle told Mr Tsarapkin that Britain and America were willing, however, to examine the test ban issue in the context of negotiations on general and complete disarmament. The British and United States delegates had also said that once disarmament negotiations had resumed, Britain and America would work for the conclusion of a nuclear test ban treaty as a "matter of the highest priority,” Western spokesmen reported. The British and United States delegations’ spokesmen, in a joint statement later, said: "The United States and United Kingdom Governments have today pointed out to the Soviet Government that there are two alternative methods of achieving a test ban agreement. “The first is to resume negotiations looking towards the establishment of an international control system along the lines of the Geneva network.

"The second is for the conference to adjourn while the question of an appropriately controlled nuclear test ban is considered, in relation to general disarmament and the corresponding international controls, by the 18nation disarmament committee. ‘‘The United States and United Kingdom vastly prefer the course of a separate and safeguarded nuclear test ban agreement to be negotiated and implemented as rapidly as this can be done," the statement said. “Whichever alternative is chosen by the Soviet Government, however, the United States and United Kingdom Governments will continue to pursue the objective of ending aU nuclear weapon tests under effective international control as soon aa this can be accomplished."