Evening star., 1960-04-07
A-Ban Offered
ByDeGauIIe
If Others Join

u VuIVIS JVuI
LONDON, April 7 (AP)-
Gen. Charles de Gaulle de-
clared today France will quit
testing nuclear weapons-and
write of its investment in them
If the other nations of the
world will agree on nuclear dis
armament.
Speaking to a joint session
Of the British Parliament, the
visiting French chief of state
said peace can be attained only
If "the general fear of sudden
annihiliation is first removed"
France. he said, wishes
above all for stocks of nuclear
weapons to be destroyed, the
installations where they are
made used for different pur-
poses, the rockets and the air.
craft capable of carrying them,
as well as the fixed or floating
bases from which these vehicles
OF death can be launched, to
be placed under surveillance"
Addresses Parliament
France, he continued, would
for her part be very happy to
give up the tests and the capital
expenditure which she has un-
dertaken in order to provide
herself in her turn with the
means possessed by others-asI
soon as these others have
ceased to have them available.
AS the windup of his three
day state visit to Britain, the
French President was accorded
an honor without parallel since
World War II in being invited
to address the House of Com
mons and the House of Lords,
He spoke in Westminster
Hall in the yard of the Houses
OF Parliament. Britain does
not follow the American custom
OF inviting visiting dignitaries
to address both houses of the
legislature in the parliament
building itself. One reason is
that neither the House of Lords
nor the House of Commons is
big enough.
Glancing down at his old
wartime associate, Sir Winston
Churchill, Gen. de Gaulle re-
called that he had not always
seen eye to eye with British
leaders during the war. But he
said that his visit to London
attests that the French people
are now firm in their admira-
ton and regard for the British
people.
Gen. de Gaulle said France
hopes that the peace which
would follow nuclear disarm-
ament shall not widen diyi-
slonS nor poison wounds. in
Guiding those suffered by the
German people who yesterday
were our enemies but are to-
day a vital part of the West
and our common ally.
Hint on COexistence
"on the contrary" the
French leader continued, "she
(France) wishes that the future
shall enable Europe to lead her
own life, thanks to the balance :.
established between her two
parts which follow different
ways Of life.
She does not despair of
seeing the progressive diminu-
ton of opposition between
these two ways of life in a
peaceful atmosphere through
evolution, conditioned on the
one hand by the aspiration of
human nature for liberty, and
on the other by the pursuit of
progress which demands eff
ciency."
This appeared to be a con-
ditional acceptance by the
French President of Communist
claims that peaceful coexist-
ence between East and West is
the worlds best hope at pres
ent.
Sustained applause followed
Gen. de Gaulle's speech.
Gen. de Gaulle had a private
reunion last night with Sir
Winston. The World War II
leaders, who had their at-odds
moments frequently during
those days, laughed as they
reminisced.
Beaming. the 85-year-old
British statesman met the
French leader at the doorway
of his London home The