ATOMIC WEAPONS

Evening Star, Issue 26028, 17 February 1947, Page 7

ATOMIC WEAPONS

RUSSIA'S ALLEGATIONS USED BY AMERICA AS POLITICAL LEVER NEW YORK, February 14. M. Gromyko in the Security Council to-day urged the United Nations to ban the productiop of atomic bombs as' the first step towards an international atomic control system. He rejected the American control plan and criticised the United States for the continued manufacture of mass production weapons.

M. Gromyko said that the atomic control machinery must operate under the Security Council (where the power of veto holds), and added that the American plan violated the United Nations Charter and contradicted the General Assembly resolution on arms reduction. He said that atomic weapons by their very nature are weapons for aggression against cities, and the United States, while talking disarmament, had used the atomic bomb as a “ political lever ” against other countries. M. Gromyko continued: “The American control plan is’ one-sided and results from a tendency to secure a position of monopoly in atomic energy production, t but such a position cannot continue ; indefinitely.’’ He added that' the General Assembly resolution of December 14 definitely provides that atomic energy control should be within the framework of the Security Council ” and denied that the principle of unanimity (veto power), would prevent the punishment of violations. M. Gromyko said, “ The Security Council must take appropriate measures against. violators of an appropriate convention, up to the applications of sanctions."

The American and Russian differences on the international control of atomic energy can be summarised as follows: “ Russia wants to scrap the atomic bomb first, and set np a control system after. The United States position is directly opposite. Russia wants all the machinery to operate under the Security Council, but the United States says that there can be no veto on atomic questions.”