Russia Wants Atomic Bombs All Destroyed

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 March 1947, Page 5

Russia Wants Atomic Bombs All Destroyed

Recd. 10 p.m. New York, March 5

Mr. Gromyko (Russia), in the most violent attack lie has yet made on the United States atomic control plan, made it clear to the Security Council to-day that Russia still demanded that existing atomic bomb stocks must be destroyed and bomb manufacture discontinued before an international treaty could be signed.

He accused the* United States of trying to monoplise atomic energy, adding that unlimited control oj it by an international authority would mean unlimited, interference with a nation’s internal affairs. International management, if carried to its logical conclusion, would mean the countries would split the profits according to how many shares they held. | He insisted that the Security Council, where veto power resides, must be the sole authority to punish violators of an international agrement. The Council was debating the United States proposal that the Atomic Energy Commission should try again to draft an international treaty. Mr. Gromyko said the Soviet cc-uld not allow a situation in which a control; authority! would interfere with the economic life of a State.

“The Soviet is aware that there will be a majority in the control organ which may make o*?-sided decisions—a majority on whose benevolent attitude towards the Soviet Union and the Soviet people cannot count. Therefore, the Soviet Union, and probably not only the Soviet, cannot allow the i fate of its national economy to be handed over to this organ. Strict regulation of the powers and duties of the control organ should exclude unlimited access for inspection purposes to all equipment and operations—access which is now provided, in the Atomic Energy Commission's report," he said.

Discussing the necessity for having the Security Council sole authority Io deal with violators of international agreemenls on armament. Mr. Gromyko said: ‘‘lf the two years which had passed since the Yalta Conference and the year and a-half since the San Francisco Conference and the end of the war have brought for some people doubts as tc the soundness of the veto priciple, which was established on the in'tiative of Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Churrchill, what is the use of speaking about the prospects of co-opera-tion among the great Powers and the maintenance of international peace in future?”

The Security Council adjourned until Thursday.