Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-06

NaJlOnaI security COUNCIL meet
military advantages of continuin
litical advantages of stopping
them.
Pressure for a prompt decision
many high officials in govern
ment concede it is already ex-
tremely late-has been increased,
of course, by the Soviet Unions
dramatic announcement last Mon
day suspending all her own nuclear
tests unilaterally If Britain and
America follow suit.
Secretary of State Dulles told
his news conference last week that
the administration, forewarned Of
the Soviet move, had decided
against stealing the march on the
Kremlin. At White House meet
ing either March 20 or March "a,
the President and his principal
political. military and propaganda
advisers are believed to have con-
sidered this proposition:
Should the United States an
nounce-before the Russians
that it intends to suspend nuclear
tests for a trial period at the end
of its spring test series
in the Pacific?
The Presidents decision was a
tentative no. But he did not fore
close American suspension of nu-
clear testing after the world had
a look at the actual Soviet an
nouncement Of its unilateral step.
why not definite yes or no
en-before the Soviet Union
could score its propaganda coup?
There were at least three
reasons: The Department of De-
tense had not marshalled all the
arguments against hating tests
and Secretary Of Defense McElroy
apparently pleaded for more time,
nobody was quite sure just what
unilateral move the Soviet Union
would announce. and our allies
would have been difficult to con-
vince.
Pentoeon Deloy
Reasons Secretary McElroy was
not ready to document his case
are not hard to find if one recalls
the events of last week. He was
busy on other matters. One Of
those matters was the proposal for
a sweeping reorganization of the
Pentagon, putting new broad pow
ers into his hands. The other was
the large supplemental budget re-
quest, to quicken the pace Of mill
tary modernization. Now that
they are cleared from Secretary
McElroy's desk, he is free to con-
centrate on the test issue.
Apparently the President was
not pleased with the delay at
the Pentagon. Certainly other
Government agencies were exas-
perated.
There was talk Of papers getting
lost in the labyrinth Of Govern
ment. Studies had been going on
at the lower levels, but those ct
the Defense Department. at least.
never came to the top level. There
are suspicious in agencies favoring
a test suspension announcement
that there has been some clever
stalling inside the five walls of the
Pentagon.
Mr.. Eisenhower now has ordered
that the issue be lifted up to the
cabinet level. where quick deci-
sions will be possible. Secretary Of
State Dulles has been designated
co-ordinator.
Defense Secretary McElroy and
Acc Chief Strauss are not bereft
of arguments, of course. They
have presented enough Of a case
to convince most influential lnen
in the administration that from
a purely military standpoint the
tests should not be suspended.
The administration feels
strongly the need to develop nu-
clear defenses against missiles.
and weapons clean" enough Of
radioactive faIlout to use in pop
ulated areas like Europe without
blighting great tracts for months
and years.
These aims will be advanced IN
the coming Pacific tests. There is
some indication that the crucial
tests may be rushed through this
month, for the benefit Of the
Washington policy makers. Re-
suits would have a bearing on the
decision whether further expert
mentation could be safely sus-
pended. :
What Would KremIin Do?
Besides these elements Of delay
in the military-AEC establish
ments, there we're other reasons
for the Presidents hedged answer.
One was the uncertainty over the
specific form the Soviet unilateral
suspension would take. There was
even some doubt whether Moscow
would move at all.
Oficial Washington Ii still
puzzled about the curious Soviet
technique Of tipping its hand so
far In advance. Nikita Khru-
shchev gave the only firm, on-the-
record hint on March Alt days
before Foreign Minister Andrei
Gromyko's formal announcement.
Mr.. Khrushchev told his Kalinin
constituents that the time was
coming when nuclear powers