Pessimism Over Test Ban Plan

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29897, 10 August 1962, Page 11

Pessimism Over Test Ban Plan

(ti-Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, August 9. United States officials believe there is little hope that the Soviet Union will reverse its objection to the simplified United States requirements for a nuclear test ban, the “New York Times” reported today.

They gave their opinion after a 75-minute meeting in Washington between the United States Secretary of State, Mr Dean Rusk, and the Soviet Ambassador, Mr Anatoly Dobrynin. Mr Rusk called in the Ambassador to emphasise the new United States proposals The meeting was described as an effort to impart some forward impetus to the 17-nation disarmament talks now going on at Geneva. The United States has scaled down its test ban terms as a result of scientific findings showing the detection of underground explosions is easier than previously thought. In Geneva, the United States delegate (Mr Arthur H Dear. • gave the disarmament talks some specifications on a Western test ban compromise proposal expected to be presented formally next week.

Mr Dean was quoied as telling the meeting: "In our new presentation, we are proposing to reduce the number of control posts to something like 80; that means a reduction of more than half.” The Associated Press said that years ago, before the Soviet Union withdrew all previous agreements to an international test ban control system, the three nuclear Powers agreed that a network of 180 detection posts should be established all over the world

The Western Powers, however, would insist that a treaty provide for compulsory international on-site inspection in the territories of all nuclear Powers to verify in-

strument readings of the detection posts. Reuter reported that Mr Dean submitted a working draft of an article on stageone tasks, obligations and time limits drawn up by him and his Soviet co-chairman (Mr Zorin). Complete agreement had been reached on “specific undertakings to take measures to reduce the risk of war and to strengthen arrangements for the maintenance of international peace and security,” Mr Dean said, adding: “Although these areas of agreement are limited, we welcome them.”

Soviet Bomb Test (N Z PA.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, Aug 8. The United States Atomic Energy Commission announced that the Soviet Union had conducted another atmospheric nuclear, test, at the testing site in Central Siberia It was in the low kiloton range. It was the second time the A.E.C. announced the explosion of a Soviet device in the latest Russian series. The A.E.C previously announced that Russia had resumed atmospheric testing with a 30megaton blast in the air on Sunday

At that time, the A.E.C said it also had detected several underground blasts in Russia previously, but did not disclose the number.