QUESTION PUT TO VYSHINSKY

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 October 1948, Page 5

QUESTION PUT TO VYSHINSKY

Mr Hector McNeil (Britain) said

Mr Vyshinsky’s proposals for a reduction of armaments were not realistic and were not designed to create conditions of confidence, because “Mr Vyshinsky knows down io the last man and the last halfpenny what Britain spends on armaments, what men we have, how we train them, what weapons they are using and where they are. But will anyone, including perhaps even anyone from those States in closest relations with Russia, tell us with any certainty where Russia’s men are placed, how many there are, what weapons they have and even how much Russia is spending on them?” •Mr McNeil looked straight at Mr Vyshinsky and asked him directly what proportion of the national income of Russia was spent on armaments in 1947-48. He continued: “Mr Vyshinsky, have a guess. Five per cent.? Ten per cent.? The published figures say 17 ■ per cent., but I am not certain that it ends there.”

Russian Increase

Mi- McNeil added that in 1937 Russia spent 17.5 milliard roubles on armaments. It now spent 66.1 milliards. This was another reason why Mr Vyshinsky’s proposition was not a sound approach to disarmament, because’ it gave an advantage to those who disarmed the least. Mr McNeil continued: “My country undertook a severe disarmament and demobilisation programme after the war. We are at the bottom of the scale, reduced to the irreducible minimum—but facing us is this figure of 66.1 milliards.” Mr McNeil asked Mr Vyshinsky for a series of proposals that meant “adecjuite verification and adequate inspection for any disarmament programme. It is not necessary that these proposals should completely satisfy me or the military experts

who advise my Government. What I ask for is a series of proposals that will persuade the peoples of the world that Russia is in earnest and has nothing to hide.”

"Afraid of the Soviet”

Mr McNeil declared vehemently that the people in many parts of the world had become afraid of Soviet Rtissia.

“For two years,” he said, “my Government displayed an overwhelming desire to believe the Soviet Government, until our pepole had become critical of the Government’s tolerance. And people do not become so critical until they arc moved by their deepest instincts. “Mr Vyshinsky knows perfectly well that none of us could withstand an appeal for disarmament if he could show us that it is well based.”

Mr McNeil concluded: “Unless trust is created, unless the doors are opened, none of us would be . good representatives of our people, if we acceded to the Soviet requests.”