RUSSIA REJECTS PLAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26214, 26 July 1946, Page 5

RUSSIA REJECTS PLAN

ATOMIC ENERGY CONTROL INCOMPATIBLE WITH CHARTER NEW . YORK, July 24. Mr Gromyko announced that Russia rejected the United States main proposals for control of atomic energy. Mr Gromyko, speaking at a committee session, specifically rejected the United States proposals for setting up an atomic development authority and for the exclusion of the veto on atomic matters. Mr Gromyko made it clear that Russia was opposed to the whole or any part of Mr Baruch's third memorandum, which summed up all the principal points of the United States plan. The United States memorandum which Mr Gromyko rejected stated, inter alia, that controls would be wholly ineffective if enforcement could be prevented by the veto of the State which signed the proposed atomic control treaty. "Any other conception would fender the whole principle of veto ridiculous.” The memorandum also reiterated Mr Baruch’s statement when presenting the United States plan that "There must be no veto to protect those who violate their solemn agreements not to develop or use atomic energy for destructive purposes.” A summary of Mr Gromyko’s speech issued after the closed session of the Atomic Energy Commission’s working meeting reiterates the Soviet view that the Security Council is fully empowered to control atomic energy, and should make all final decisions thereon. The Soviet rejected the proposed establishment of an independent*autonomous control agency, which Mr Gromyko said was unreconcilable with the United Nations Charter. The United States proposed that all matters relating to atomic energy should be of international, not national, importance and jurisdiction. The Soviet held that the principle of sovereignty was one of the corner stones on which the United Nations structure was built. If it were touched the whole existence and future of the organisation would be threatened. The Soviet's contention was that the Security Council's powers of authority should not be undermined. Dealing with the question of voting procedure Mr Gromyko restated the Soviet's determination to retain the veto, saying it would be dangerous, perhaps fatal, to accept any proposals which would undermine to any degree the principle of the United Nations.