RUSSIA AND THE ATOMIC BOMB

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1948, Page 5

RUSSIA AND THE ATOMIC BOMB

Mr Vyshinsky charged that the Western Allies tried to get Hitler to attack Russia in 1939. He added: “And I will prove the charge if you force me to lay all my cards on the table.” , , „ , ~ „ Mr Vyshinsky declared that the Soviet disarmament proposal could not be tied up with the atomic bomo question. “Russia yearns for cooperation,” he said. “It is possible to have co-operation between countries of different ideologies, of different social structures, if there is a real desire for understanding. “We don’t want co-operation under the shadow of the super-weapon, but you ought to know there is a reply to every weapon. “Calling .a Spade a Spade “Let’s call a spade a spade. You want to reject the proposal to ban the atomic bomb because you hope to be able to fool the people of the world to make them believe you don t want an atomic bomb age. Why, since it was possible to agree at Geneva in 1925 on the prohibition of poison gas and germ warfare, isn t it possible to agree today on the prohibition of the atom bomb?” Mr Vyshinsky offered to disclose details of Russia’s .strength if the Western Powers simultaneously gave information about their atom and bacteriological war strength. Addressing the British and United States delegates, Mr Vyshinsky said that even after a one-third reduction of their fleets they would still have combined fleets many times greater than the rest of the world put , together. “You have the atom bomb —a little bomb —and that’s not. a pound of raisins,” he said. You hope others don’t have it- at least, that’s your dear hope. Mr Vyshinsky said the Soviet would not bow to dictation of any kind under any circumstances. He urged passionately that they should vote now on the Soviet proposal to ban the use of atomic energy in war and. denied that there was anything mysterious about the Soviets military budget, which had declined from 52 per cent, of the total budget in 1999 to 17.5 per cent, in 1948. Mr Vyshinsky concluded that Kus- . sia envisaged the establishment of an international control organ to supervise the prohibition of the atomic bomb and energy and. the implementation of the disarmament proposals,

and the Assembly’s decision in favour of this would powerfully strengthen peace and confidence. Security Essential Mr James Thorn (New Zealand) stated that the idea which had been generally between the last two wars and which some now alleged was out ot date, that security must come before disarmament, as in fact the basis on the whole United Nations structure. A system of security was the primary aim of the Charter. Mr Thorn argued that the best way to disarmament lay in the words of the Charter, in particular the article which provided for forces to be made available to the Security Council by member nations. The committee adjourned to giye the delegates time to study the six proposals already put forward.