Evening star., 1951-11-08

been working on atomic energy,
and the other commission on all
other types of weapons and
armed forces. 1t is clear, how
ever, that all types of weapons
and armed forces must be COW
cred by one overall plan, and
should therefore be under the
jurisdiction of the same United
Nations commission.
As result of work during the
past year, the General Assembly
is now in a position to merge
the two commissions and to di-
rect the new body to get to work
on concrete steps for reducing
and controlling all kinds of ar
mamentS.
We hope the proposal we are
now making will be the first
order of business of this new
commission.
wa We AASFVSSs
Let me tell you just what 1t
is that we are proposing.
First, We propose that a con-
tinuing inventory of all armed
forces and ornaments be un-
dertaken. This inventory would
take place in every country hav-
ing substantial military power.
and it would be checked and
verified in each of those coun-
tries by inspectors who are ma
tionals of other countries. work.
ing under the United Nations.
These inspectors would have
authority to find out what the
real facts are.
Second, We propose that,
while this process of inventory
and inspection is taking place.
the nations work out specific
arrangements for the actual re-
duction of armed strength.
Third. We propose. on the
basis of these two steps, that
the reductions which are the
goal of the program be made
as soon as that can be done
with full knowledge and fair
ness to all-that the reductions
be made as soon as that can be
done with full knowledge and
fairness to all.
Such a program would have
to be agreed upon by all the
countries having substantial
military power and ratified &C
cording to their own constitu-
tional practices.
The key to this plan Is the
proposal to find out exactly and
precisely what arms and armed
forces each country has. This
is the first essential. on which
all else depends. Unless this
step is taken. no real progress
can be made toward regulating
and reducing armaments.
Honest, Continuing Inventory.
Any nation which is not will
ing to agree to this step. and
to carry it out, is not really in
terested in disarmament. The
Soviet government has at vari-
Gus times talked about reducing
armaments, but they have never
proposed an effective system for
finding out the facts. No re-
sponsible government can agree
to cut it's own defenses unless
it knows where such O cut viii
leave it in relation to the armed
forces of other countries. That
is why we propose the first step
Of an honest continuing inven-
tory of all armed forces and
ornaments, including atomic
weapons.
Such an inventory would pro-
ceed by stages, disclosing the
least vital information first, and
then proceeding to more sensi-
tive areas. Each stage would be
competed before the next be-
gan, until all armed forces and
armaments of every kind had
been included.
There is another important
point. Any program of reduc-
ing armaments will necessarily
be complex and even with the
fullest cooperation of all the
parties. will take quite a while
to work out and put into effect.
Even after it is put into effect,
there will have to be safeguards
against its violation. The fact
finding must, therefore, be con-
tinuous. It cannot be a one
shot affair. The fact finders
must know not only what the
state Of armament is on any
given date, but how it is pro-
ceeding-whether the armed
forces of the country concerned
are increasing or diminishing.
AS the facts are revealed.
progress can be made toward
working out. by mutual agree
ment, the exact amounts and
kinds of ornaments and armed
forces which each country will
finally be permitted to have. 1t
might be possible. for example.
to agree that each country
would have armed forces pro-
portionate to its population,
with a ceiling beyond which no
country could go. Furthermore,
each country might be limited
to using no more than a fixed
portion of it's national produc-
ton for military purpose. That
is the most important. That is
the key to armaments reduc-
ton.
With respect to atomic weap-
ons, the plan already approved
by a majority of the United
Nations fits right into this pres
ent proposal of ours for the
control and reduction Of arma-
ments. Aomic weapons would
be revealed at the appropriate