What Is Russia’s Strength?-— BRITAIN APPEALS TO SOVIET TO LIFT THE CURTAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1948, Page 7

What Is Russia’s Strength?-— BRITAIN APPEALS TO SOVIET TO LIFT THE CURTAIN

(Recd. 10 a.m.) PARIS , October 13. Sir Hartley Shawcross (Britain) told Mr Vyshinsky (Soviet) at a meeting of the United Nations Political Committee that, instead of “banging loudly on the same old drum and beating out the same hollow tune,” the Soviet delegate could have settled in three minutes yesterday the issues between the Soviet Union and the Western Powers on disarmament. , Sir Hartley added that Mr Vyshinsky could have dealt with the matter by revealing the present strength of the Soviet armed forces, so that they could judge whether the one-third cut vzas fair, and by giving a guarantee that the activities and operations of control would not be subject to the Soviet veto. Sir Hartley Shawcross appealed to Russia to open her doors, lift the curtain and let travellers and visitors get to know the warm-hearted people of Russia. He asked the Soviet Union whether, to restore international trust and confidence, it would “call off its secret forces, the fifth column which is trying to disrupt the economies of many countries of the world.”

He also called on Russia to let her diplomats travel as they may in “civilised countries” ajrd ,to allow the exchange of \broadcasts and exchange of tourists.

Sir Hartley Shawcross said the iron curtain had not diminished by Mr Vyshinsky’s claim that it did not exist. The Soviet Government had imposed hitherto unheard of restrictions on diplomats’ movements. Communist activities were impeding economic recovery in France, Italy, China, Indonesia and Malaya. One little word from Russia would enable those countries to put their houses in order.

Sabotaging Marshall Plan Referring to reports that Mr Zhdanov before his death had directed the French Communist Party to sabotage the Marshall Plan, Sir Hartley Shawcross asked whether this was true and, if so, was this the way Russia contributed to confidence, trust and understanding? “Or is it that you hope that, by creating economic instability, you will succeed in dominating the world without resorting to arms?” He said that Mr Vyshinsky wanted the Western Powers to cut their forces by one-third, crippling their effectiveness in relation to those retained by Russia, and afterwards he would reveal the size of the Soviet forces. He asked Russia to what she had put the 41,000,000,000 roubles unallocated in her Budget. He also asked what was Russia’s reserve system? How many men had she under arms now compared with 1938, and how many were called up in the 1946-7-8 classes? “Our figures are published,” said Sir Hartley Shawcross. “Tell us yours.” Veto Question Raised He called on Mr Vyshinsky to say whether Russia would agree that the operations and activities of a disarmament control organ should not be the subject of the veto by a single Power. , .. , M. Parodi (France) submitted a new resolution, proposing the creation of an international control body to check the declarations to be made of their armed strength by all the Powers, particularly the Big Five, and a progressive and balanced reduction of conventional armaments. Mr Malik (Soviet) said Sir Hartley Shawcross’s speech was full of insinuations and slander, and it was difficult to make agreements with him and his ilk. The committee approved, with 11 abstentions, to close the general debate on disarmament. Formal Proposals

The United Nations Political Committee unanimously agreed to set up a sub-committee to examine six * -formal proposals on ways of dealing with the disarmament deadlocks These proposals are:— ]. RUSSIA.—One-third reduction of armaments by the Big Five and

the banning of atomic weapons. 2. BRITAIN. —The General Assembly should endorse the Western majority view that no disarmament is possible until an atmosphere of trust and confidence is obtained. 3. LEBANON, —The immediate setting up of an international body to control disarmament, operating under the Security Council but free of the veto, to be followed by onethird disarmament during one year by the Big Five, the reduction

to be based on the Big Five’s armed forces in 1945.

4. SYRIA. — The United Nations should mark time on disarmament by instructing the Security Council ■to continue its study of the problems.

5. EL SALVADOR. —The disarmament problem- should be entrusted to the Atomic Energy Commission, which should attack it after breaking the deadlock on an international control body to check the Powers’ declarations of their armed strength, followed by “progressive and balanced” disarmament.

6. BELGIUM. —An amendment to the British resolution, declaring that the Assembly considers that no useful object can be obtained by the adoption of the Soviet proposal, because it lacks details of what armaments are to be reduced.