BRITAIN WOULD BE BATTLEGROUND IN ATOM WARFARE

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 March 1947, Page 5

BRITAIN WOULD BE BATTLEGROUND IN ATOM WARFARE

WARNING BY 8.8. C. SPEAKER ON WORLD-WIDE DISASTER deceived 9.30 p.m. LONDON, March 8. Britain would inev.tably become a battleground in aton'. warf-.re, said Bertrand Russell, summing’ up the 8.8. C. series on atomic energy. He warned that because of congestion a very large proportion of the inhabitants of the British Isles would either perish directly from bombing- or indirectly as a result of the consequent famine and disease.

“Either we must'within a few sears unlearn ancient beliefs and prejudices and consent to an en tirely novel form of political-mili-tary organisation or expect world-wide disaster surpassing in its horror all that past misfortune enables us to imagine. We are extremely optimistic if we estimate the time for completing preventive measures at 20 years.’’ War was certain to recur from time to time while no authority such as one central Government existed. “Happiness is within our grasp, but only if powerful nations quickly understand the needs of our time,” he addejd.

CALL FOR MASTER PLAN SUGGESTION FOR WORLD CONVENTION Recd. 6 a.m. London, March 7. Mr. Bevin will find awaiting him in Moscow an urgent communication from a committee of distinguished British scientists and politicians, urging him to raise immediately with Mr. Stalin and General Marshall vital questions of agreement on atomic energy and a plan for control which can be imposed throughout the world, says Reuter’s correspondent.

The committee declares in its statethat that it believes, “We shall face a desperate world situation ” unless strict international control is established over atomic energy within the very near future. It calls for a masterplan that will resolve international differences on atomic energy and be embodied forthwith in an international convention.

The committee includes the atom science experts Professors M. L. Oliphant, R. E. Peieris, and A. S. Massey, and also Lord Brabazon, Mr. Clement Davies, M.P., Mr. Raymond Blackburn, M.P., Mr. Michael Foot, M.P., Mr. Harold Nicholson, and Mr. Davie. Grenfell, former Secretary of Labour and Mines.

Contending that statements by the Big Three Powers on international control of atomic energy do not disclose any differences in principle which are necessarily insoluble, the committee says Russia has accepted the principle of international inspection unhampered oy veto. Moreover, the discussions in the scientific and technical sub-committee of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, composed of leading scientists of 12 countries, and in the Security Council, have shown that international control is a practical possibility. They reveal that the issues dividing the Powers have been narrowed down to three. These issues are (1) The time at which a pact prohibiting the manufacture of atomic weapons shall become operative; (2) the timing a*id nature of the stages whereby an international authority is to take control of raw materials and plants; and (3) the question whether the Security Council’s measures against violators of the control plan shall be subject to veto by the Big Powers. “We believe these differences can be resolved by the negotiation of a comprehensive plan which, besides banning atomic weapons from national armouries, establishes an international atomic authority, defines its powers of control and inspection, and specifies a time-table for the assumption of these powers,*’ the committee state.