Evening star., 1946-06-30

tionS Atomic Energy Commission goes
to work tomorrow seeking to plt to-,
gether the framework of possible plan
for world control of the atom, its
members will take more than one look
at big piece OF paper which purports
to show exactly how much truth there
is to the often-repeated consolation. that
there is no unbridgeable gap between
the American and Russian positions on
atomic control
This piece of paper is a chart drawn
up by the United States delegate to
the commission, Bernard M. Baruch.
DR.. Herbert Evatt of Australia. chairman
Of the commission has called it the
raw material" on which the subcom-
mittee, still to be named by him, will
work. Others here are referring to it
affectionately as "Barney's blueprint"
The chart is not so complex as it
seems at first glance. Down the left
hand side of the paper Mr.. Baruch has
listed 20 topics which he thinks cover
the whole field of atomic control dis
cussion to date. They include, he be-
lieves, all the proposals in the United
States control plan. which he submitted
two weeks ago, and in the Russian plan
with which Soviet Delegate "Andrei A.
Gromygo subsequently countered.
Chart Shows Views Of All.
So much for that Across the top of
his paper Mr.. Baruch has put the names
OF the IL nations represented on the
OF ir iy,N Il
words. which are charged by the world
with working out some means whereby
the world may be spared atomic disaster
In columns under each Of these nations,
opposite the 20 proposals he has listed
on the left side of the paper, Mr..
Baruch has summarized what he con-
ceives to be the position of each coun-
try with regard to each proposal, based
on "on the record" statements.
This chart, he hopes, will help COM
mission delegates land the people of
the world to understand exactly where
they are today in their crucial drive to
achieve agreement on what to do about
the atom.
Now in assessing its significance
even at the risk of offending the collec-
tive sensibilities of Britain, Canada.
China, Brazil, Mexico. France. Poland,
the Netherlands, Egypt and Australia
it is natural for the layman to con-
centrate on the first two columns of
the chart, which show the positions of
the United States and Russia.
The reason for such discrimination is,
Of course, that each Of the other coun-
tries merely supports. to greater or
lesser degree, the American or the Rus
sian position. The fact that. Of them all,
Poland alone backs the Russian posi-
ton doubtless will have its bearing on
the situation. But the task of the COM
mission land of the world is to fashion
q control formula which can produce
agreement where agreement must be
produced-that is, between greater
Russia" and the rest of the world No
body knows better than the commission
delegates that all other agreements In
the world would not compensate for a
lack of agreement with Russia about
control OF the atom.
Most of Nations Back U. s.
If the U. MS atomic group may be taken
as fair cross-section of world opinion
and it is not unreasonable to suppose
it does-then the United States column
may be taken as fair general express
sion of the atom-control views of ma
tions outside greater Russia" 1t is
for this reason that the first two
columns of Mr.. Baruch's chart tell the
essential parts of the story Mr. Baruch
is trying to tell.
What do these two columns show?
First of all, that among the 20 points
Of proposal there is only one on which
the two countries are now known to
disagree fatty and only one on which
they are now known to agree completely
The fiat disagreement is over a pro-
posed surrender of the great powers
Security Council veto power where ques-
tions OF atomic control are concerned
The complete agreement is on the rather
atomic energy to be fostered is It's use
for peaceful purposes.
Partially Agree on Five.
Secondly, there are five proposals on
which Russia and the United States are
in partial agreement-separated in vary
ing degrees for varying reasons. These
proposals are:
l. That complete information on
fashionable raw materials be made
available. The United States would
accomplish this by having an atomic
development authority find out. what
fashionable raw materials are where
Russia would hope to accomplish the
same result by interchange of this in
formation between countries.
2. That secrets" of producing atomic
energy be disclosed. The United States
would like to do it by stages as the
atomic development authority grows.
Russia feel that disclosing these secrets"
now would 60 long way toward reliev-
ing international tensions. The diff
ference here, in other words, is one of
timing.
3. That atomic weapons be formally
outlawed-which would also mean a
prohibition on their production and the
destruction Of those already in existence
The United States would prefer to wait
for this until after a control system,
with punishment for violators, has been
established. Russia wants to do it now
| by treaty-and to have the bombs
destroyed within three months after
ratification of that treaty. This, too, is
matter Of timing. The Russian posi-