Test-Ban Pact Awaited

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 13

Test-Ban Pact Awaited

(N .Z.P A Copyright) MOSCOW, July 24. Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union are expected to initial tonight an agreement banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water. Observers in Moscow expected the three sides to meet again today at 3 p.m. local time to settle a final point, adjourn and initial the agreement later in the full glare of publicity.

But it was still not known who would sign the agreement for the Big Three and how far a signing would hinge on discussions outside that of a partial testban treaty.

The Soviet side is believed to have pressed the point that a non-aggression treaty—or a pledge of non-aggression—-between the North Atlantic Treaty and the Warsaw Pact would be desirable with a partial test-ban treaty. It was not immediately clear whether the Soviet Union had made this a condition of the test-ban treaty signing—and therefore whether tough East-

West negotiations lay ahead. The three aides have made steady progress at the conference table since Mr Khrushchev received the Western chief delegates—Lord Haibham, of Britain, and Mr Averell Harriman, of the United States—in Moscow ten days ago. A joint communique on Sesterday’s two-and-a-half our session said, that further progress had been made. The

American Secretary of State (Mr Rusk) said in Washington last night, that the testban talks in Moscow “will continue for a day or two.” He was speaking to reporters after giving a secret briefing on the progress of the negotiations to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“We think there is a possibility we can get an* agreement,” he said. He said he had brought the committee members up to date, on negotiations, adding: "I hope they will be successful.”

Washington sources said Mr Rusk planned to fly to Moscow with a delegation of Congressional leaders if a testban treaty was agreed Upon. Mr Rusk planned to initial personally the agreement. President Kennedy was behind Mr Rusk’s plan, the sources said.

Support For Expulsion (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) JESSELTON, July 24 The Sabah Alliance Party, which will form North Borneo’s first elected State Government, today supported the Government’s action in expelling two Indonesian consular officials from North Borneo and demanded that the Indonesian Consulate in Jesselton be closed.