U.S. Cool To U.K. “Hot Line” Interest

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30103, 10 April 1963, Page 15

U.S. Cool To U.K. “Hot Line” Interest

(N.Z Press Association—Copyright)

GENEVA, April 9.

The United States and the Soviet Union open direct negotiations today on a “hot line” emergency communication link between Washington and the Kremlin, the Associated Press reported.

The co-chairman of the 17-nation Disarmament Conference, Mr Charles C. Stelle, of the United States, and Mr Semyon K. Tsarapkin, of the Soviet Union, meet at the

American delegation headquarters today.

The “het line,” approved in principle by both Governments. is the main su' ject of their discussion. It is their first private meeting since Mr Tsarapkin announced Russia’s acceptance of the idea at a plenary session on Friday.

Both Governments are agreed thait the proposed direct communications links between their capitals would provide a safeguard against an outbreak of world war by accident or miscalculation.

They also believe the link will make an important contribution by reducing EastWest tension generally. For the moment, the United States and the Soviet Union ‘both regard the “hot line” as a strictly two-nation affair.

American officials viewed with little enthusiasm a hint from the British Government that it would like to be included in the negotiations, at least before they reach their final stage. The American view is that to bring in the British would lead to demands for a similar privilege from other countries with claims to great Power status, notably France The “hot line” finally could become a “hot network” and thereby lose much of its value. A.P. said.

France is boycotting the disarmament talks and has no

means of making itself heard at the talks in any case. A British delegation spokesman told reporters “at an appropriate time we would like to take part in the discussions” on the “hot line.” He did not explain what “an appropriate time” would be. Britain’s chief delegate, Mr Joseph Godber, made no formal move to be brought into today’s meeting between Mr Stelle and Mr Tsarapkin.

An American spokesman said the British Government had given its full support to the "hot line" idea ever since the United States first suggested it nearly a year ago.

No immediate, dramatic result can be expected from the Stelle-Tsarapkin meeting. The two chief delegates are virtually certain to call in telecommunications experts to work out technical details of the proposed circuit.

In addition to the purely technical aspects, there are important political decisions to be taken. The inclusion or exclusion of third countries is only one of these. In addition to discussing the “hot line,’’ the two cochairmen are also expected to revise their draft for the conference report to the United Nations.

The original version of the report, drafted last week, took note of the delegates’ total failure to make any progress on a nuclear test ban treaty, general disarmament or the secondary measures connected with disarmament.

The revised report almost certainly will mention what Mr Tsarapkin described as the only positive achievement of the year-old conference: the agreement in principle to establish a “hot line.”