N.Z. Abstains In Bomb-Ban Vote

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30294, 21 November 1963, Page 15

N.Z. Abstains In Bomb-Ban Vote

(N.Z. Preu Association— Copyright) NEW YORK, November 20. The United Nations General Assembly’s Main Political Committee yesterday adopted a 19-nation African draft resolution recommending that the 18-nation Geneva Disarmament Committee urgently consider calling a conference for the signing of a world-wide convention banning the use of nuclear weapons.

In spite of strong opposition from the two Western nuclear Powers, Britain and the United States, which said the action was "wholly unrealistic” and "impractical,” the resolution was adopted by 54 votes to 17, with 24 abstentions. New Zealand and Malaysia were among the nations which abstained. Australia

voted against the resolution. The resolution would have the Disarmament Committee report back to the next General Assembly on its study of the possibility of convening the conference.

Mr J. G. Tahourdin, of Britain, described the proposal today as wholly unrealistic and highly misleading. Such a ban would not contribute to international security, and might impair it by breeding a false impression that aggressive action could be undertaken without risking nuclear war, he said. Mr David Hay, of Australia, said such a matter could not be discussed in isolation, but must be taken in conjunction with the question of general and complete disarmament. The proposal must be taken in its proper context, he said.

Such important factors as the United States and Soviet plans for disarmament and the recent Soviet proposal for the retention of a nuclear “umbrella” by both sides during the disarmament process, must be taken into account in tackling such questions, he said. The draft did not take sufficient cognisance of these facts. Russia voted in favour of the African resolution. Non-Nnclear Zone

The committee also, by a vote of 89 to 0, approved a resolution endorsing the creation of a nuclear-free zone in Latin America. Most of the Soviet bloc countries and Cuba were among the 14 nations which abstained on the resolution, sponsored by 11 Latin-Ameri-can countries. The Communist bloc did so in support of Cuban demands that the United States give up its Guantanamo naval base in Cuba as a condition of establishing a free zone. Rumania voted for the resolution.