Disarmament Issue— WHAT IS SOVIETS ARMED STRENGTH?

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 October 1948, Page 5

Disarmament Issue— WHAT IS SOVIETS ARMED STRENGTH?

(Reed. 11 a.m.) ” PARIS, October 7. The Political Committee of the United Nations this afternoon began a discussion of the Russian disarmament for a reduction of one-third in the armaments of Russia, Britain, the United States, France and China. The Russian resolution declared that so far “practically nothing” had been done to implement ’the General' Assembly’s decisions on atomic energy control and disarmament. It proposed: — 1. The Big Powers shall, as a first step, reduce by one-third during one year all their present land, naval and air forces. 2. Prohibit atomic weapons intended for aims of aggression and not for defence.

3. Establish within the Security Council the framework of an international control body for supervision over the implementation of the measures for reducing armaments, armed forces and for the prohibition of atomic weapons.

The resolution added that the proposals were aimed at “strengthening the cause of peace and eliminating the threat of a new war fomented by expansionist and other reactionary elements.”

“Consistent Policy”

Mr Vyshinsky said the Soviet Government’s motives in submitting the proposal were part of its consistent policy of struggling against any measures tending to create a cleavage among peoples. Mr Vyshinsky said: “The Soviet people, who heroically” defeated the attacking German enemy and who for three years have been working to cure the wounds dealt their country during the war and towards increasing the economic power of the Soviet State, are particularly interested in setting up solid peace throughout the world. This policy of peace is directed against the warmongers and against such things as war psychosis which is being kindled in the United States.”

Mr Vyshinsky traced the Soviet Union’s disarmament efforts before the war and dealt with various proposals that Russia put before the League of Nations Disarmament Commission, all of which, he said, had been rejected.

Organisation of Blocs

“The Soviet’s proposals were not supported because they were not to the taste of France and the United Kingdom,” he added. “Today the United States stands in the van of the organisation of blocs of European countries directed against the Soviet Union.” ’’

Mr Vyshinsky quoted several passages from Lenin’s works to show that international co-operation was the central theme of the Soviet Union’s foreign policy. He said that atomic weapons were weapons of aggression. Those who did not want to spread their mastery over foreign territories by military force did not need to clutch such weapons.