Argument As Arms Talks Recess

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29850, 16 June 1962, Page 4

Argument As Arms Talks Recess

(NZ.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) GENEVA, June 15. East and West were still wrangling when the Geneva Disarmament Conference adjourned for a month’s holiday yesterday.

Russia accused the United States of a new ‘‘dangerous step” to world peace with its Pacific nuclear tests, Reuter reported. Britain described the accusation as “irresponsible, inaccurate, intemperate and intolerant.” America said it still hoped the conference could get down to serious negotiation when it resumed in July, the British United Press reported. The Soviet view was put by her delegate, Mr Valerian Zorin, in a 5000 word speech summing up the conference’s three months’ work. He said the United States position of disarmament “arouses serious alarm.” He criticised the United States tests in the Pacific and repeated Russian claims that high-altitude tests would

be an attempt to put the arms race into outer space. Mr Joseph Godiber, of Britain, after the conference adjourned attacked Mr Zarin’s speech as “irresponsible, inaccurate, intemperate and intolerant.” The American delegate (Mr Arthur Dean) said he regretted the general tone of Mr Zorin’s speech, but still hoped the conference could get down to serious negotiation on a disarmament treaty when it met again on July 16 He thought the three months of negotiation so far had been valuable.