Nuclear Treaty Appeals

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31543, 4 December 1967, Page 13

Nuclear Treaty Appeals

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) CHICAGO, December 3. President Johnson and the heads of the United States and International Atomic Energy Agencies marked the birth of the nuclear age 25 years ago yesterday with appeals for an international treaty to help protect the world against possible annihilation.

President Johnson said the United States was not asking any other country to accept safeguards that the United

States was unwilling to accept. When these precautions were adopted under a treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, the' United States would allow the International Atomic Energy (1.A.E.A.) to apply them to all nuclear activities in America, both Governmental and private, “excluding only those with direct national security significance,” he said. The heads of the United States Atomic Energy Commision and the I.A.E.A. urged also that a non-proliferation treaty be reached to keep nuclear weapons from spreading to nations without them now. A treaty has been under discussion for many months at Geneva, but talks have hinged on issues of safeguards and inspection. Inspection Offer President Johnson offered to open to international inspection more than 80 United States nuclear reactors. Washington officials said it was the first time the United States had made a public offer to put its nuclear facilities under international inspection. The officials said the gesture was a voluntary one, because the treaty envisages inspection only in nonnuclear countries, not in those countries which already possess nuclear weapons. The Soviet Union has consistently refused to allow foreign inspectors on its territory to police atomic control arrangements. President Johnson’s promise to open hitherto topsecret United States research took diplomats by surprise. It would leave only six reactors, all in military establishments, not open to inspection, according to reliable sources.