Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-26
Arms and the Russians

8AS aItltuukASCS W JUL xeplStAstS AsAseN %
Commission, the latest Soviet nuciear
explosion obviously indicates, and not
surprisingly, that the Russians are cor-
tinuing their tests OF A and II weapons.
Further than that, since 1t represents
experimentation in competition with that
of our own country and Britain, 1t serves
to re-emphasize to the world despite
the so-cailed Geneva spirit" and talk
about disarmament--that history's dead
Hest arms race still is gathering momen-
tum without letup. Nor could anything
seem more improbable than that the
contestants win soon agree to stop run
ming against each other.
It Is against this background that
one must try to evaluate the Soviet
position. AS expressed by Premier Bull
ganin in his letter to President Eisen-
hover, and by Foreign Minister Molotov
in his address to the United Nations
General Assembly. 1t Is not an en-
couraging position, though defined In
moderate and conciliatory terms. For
what it means. apparently, is that the
men OF the Kremlin- while agreeing "in
principle" with the idea-are in no mood
at present to 60 along with the Presi-
dents proposal for an exchange Of "com.
plete blueprints" OF military establish
ments and for unrestricted reciprocal
aerial inspection designed to provide
mutual protection against the danger
OF a sudden About surprise attack. What
the Russians seemingly insist upon Is
that such a policing plan cannot become
operative until after there Is general
agreement on an elaborate disarmament
systenl--a system that would forthwith
outlaw atomic-hydrogen weapons and
also do away with American bases over
seas.
The United States and its allies, of
course, cannot accept such view. And
they cannot do so for the simple but all.
important reason that 1t would require
them to dismantle their common de-
lenses particularly the Atlantic alliance
without any real guarantee against
being catastrophically weakened VISA
Wis the Soviet Union, That Is why Presi-
dent Eisenhower has called upon the
Kremlin to cooperate In putting his
plan into effect True, it Is not in itself
q disarmament plan. In fact, 1t Is
plan predicated on the assumption that
large-scale disarmament is long way
on and that the imperative requirement,
meanwhile, IS to organize surveillance Of
sort that could do two unquestionably
good things: ~ Establish large meas
ure Of reciprocal protection against CLAM
destine preparations for a sneak" attack
and t2) promote the degree Of mutual
trust that Is absolutely essential as
precondition to a genuinely effective
system Of regulating and reducing
armed forces and arms OF every kind.
As regards all this, the new Soviet
nuclear test-which is merely counter
part Of our continuing American tests
should not discourage the world. Nor
should anybody be diSmayed by the views
Of Marshal Bulganin and Mr.. Molotov.
Actually, those views have not slammed
the door against eventual agreement,
and everyone must keep In mind that
the problem Of disarmament Is as difi1-
cult for the Russians as for ourselves.
The important thing, the great hope for
the future, is that both sides recognize
that In due course, II mankind's fears
are to be lifted, there must be mutually
satisfactory and reassuring settlement
of the issue.