Geneva Delegates Agree To Draft Preamble

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29802, 19 April 1962, Page 11

Geneva Delegates Agree To Draft Preamble

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) GENEVA April 18. The whole of a draft preamble for a disarmament treaty drawn up by the Soviet Union and the United States jointly was approved yesterday by the disarmament conference in Geneva except for a single paragraph and a few words.

Diplomatic observers said it was the first time in the history of East-West negotiations since the war that such an important document had been adopted almost in full. Mr Dean and Mr Zorin the United States and Soviet co-chairmen, have worked it out in private meetings and are to have further talks to iron out the remaining difficulties. The disputed item, an article which the United States wants to include but which the Soviet Union opposes, says; '•Declaring their goal to be a free, secure and peaceful world of independent states adhering to common standards of international conduct, a world where change takes place in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. . . .” Dedication Reaffirmed The preamble reaffirms the nations’ dedication to the aims of the United Nations Charter and says they are convinced “war can no longer serve as a method of settling international disputes and must be forever banished from the life of human society.” Yesterday’s plenary session of the conference further examined the neutrals compromise plan to break the nuclear test ban deadlock. This proposes an international commission of scientists, possibly from non - aligned countries, to report on nuclear explosions or suspicous events and process all data from an agreed system of observation posts. The United States and Britain asked a number of questions about these suggestions. Mr Dean sought clarification on basic matters such as spacing of international control posts, on-site international control posts, on-site international inspection, and the denunciation of any treaty, if a party refused to co-operate. The British delegate (Mr Joseph Godber) wanted clarification on these points:

Whether the neutrals envisaged an annual quota of inspections? What was the position of the neutrals on suspected events in outer space and under water? What would be the composition and the nationalities of the inspection teams? Could any party ask for action to be initiated or did this right rest only with the internatinal commission of scientists proposed in the neutralist plan? For the neutrals, Mr James Barrington (Burma) said the questions would be carefully studied. Issue Not Mentioned The British United Press reported that Mr Zorin said nothing directly about the test ban issue or the neutral proposals. But, in a proce-

dural exchange over whether the conference should adjourn for Easter, he made an apparent reference to United States plans to resume atmospheric tests in the Pacific in about eight days. “Easter has ill tidings for us, we should bear that in mind,” Mr Zorin said. The conference would adjourn tomorrow, the British United Press report said. It added that Mr Dean told the Russians that they should accept the principle that the system of monitoring a test ban should be international and scientific. “If these two principles were to be accepted once more by the Soviet Union,” he said, “we could approach our work in this area with renewed hope and some confidence of success.”