Evening star., 1948-02-01
Russia and the Atom

Through Mr.. Gromkyo, in the most spe-
cific language to date, the Soviet Union has
made clear to the United Nations that 1t
will refuse even to consider negotiating an
agreement for international atomic control
until the United States destroys all It's
stocks of A-bombs and kindred weapons.
This latest mo" is so categorical, and
flies so much in the face OF reason and
common sense, that it scarcely leaves room
for any Interpretation other than that the
men of the Krenlin are anxious to have
free hand in the nuclear-fission field as
long as possible. In turn, that strongly
suggests that they have no genuine desire
for world control but are really seeking
only one thing-namely, enough time to
make A-bombs of their own.
In effect, what the Soviet Union would
have us do would be disarm ourselves uni
laterally of the most powerful and revolu-
tionary weapon ever made. We alone
have the weapon in quantity at this time,
and we are likely to enjoy our monopoly
for at least the next three or four years
and possibly much longer than that. But
we have offered, in the United Nations, to
abandon our unique advantage and share
our special knowledge with the rest Of the
world in exchange, step by step, for Veto
less system of international supervision to
prevent use of the atom for military pur-
poses and to develop its enormous poten-
tialities for the betterment of mankind.
The overwhelming U. N. majority has en-
Enthusiastically supported us in this. The
sole stumbling block has been Russia.
Holding its servile satellites in line, it
has done everything possible for months
past-with success-to block our plan and
it frankly intends, as Mr.. Gromyko has re-
affirmed, to keep on blocking 1t. It's only
counterproposal is for the prompt enact
ment of treaty under which our nuclear
armaments-excluSive to us-Would have
to be Immediately destroyed. After that,
the men of the Kremlin would be willing
to discuss the idea of global control with
out necessarily agreeing to it.
In short, having achieved our unilateral
disarmament, the Soviet Union would then
condescend to weigh the merits of regu-
lating atomic activities in all lands, but it
would give no prior assurance whatever
against the possibility Of its working like
a beaver to make its own A-weapons after
ours are destroyed and the world is still
trying to get it to accept an effective con-
troll system This is as if a peace-loving
man toting gun for protection were true
ulently accosted by tough-looking char
acter with a club and told to throw his
gun away before the tough-looking char
acter would consent even to talk about
getting rid of the club. Looked at in any
light, the thing just does not make sense
1t is ridiculous.
We can be sure, moreover, that the So
Wet government knows it Is ridiculous and
fully realizes that neither the United
States nor the United Nations would ever
agree to it. In the circumstances, the con-
clusion seems almost inescapable that the
men of the Kremlin are intent upon kill
ing off the majority atomic plan, or at least
upon delaying it until they can announce
to the world that they have their own
A-weapons.
Just what can be done about this is
highly conjectural. The only thing certain
is that it adds up to grim situation and
that unless there is change for the bet
ter before very long the free western world
will have to start worrying most seriously
about the menace of atomic aggression
lurking in the dark empire behind the iron
curtain.