REGULATION OF ARMAMENTS


                               COMMENT
    While attempting to avoid a substantive debate on the regulation
  and reduction of conventional armaments and armed forces in the
  Fifth Regular Session of the General Assembly, the United States
  should not hesitate to defend its record and attack the Soviet record.
  The underlying cause for the lack of real progress in negotiations
  looking toward the regulation and reduction of conventional arma-
  ments and armed forces stems from Soviet policies, methods, and aims.
  There are no indications that the U.S.S.R. will change such policies,
  methods, and aims in the foreseeable future, or that it will make any
  effort to negotiate constructively in the field of armaments regulation
  and reduction. Soviet objectives include the use of the armaments field
  as one facet of its subversive program. The most effective means for
  dealing with Soviet moves in the conventional armaments field is for
  the United Nations to continue support of the Commission for Con-
  ventional Armaments proceeding in accordance with its approved plan
  of work.
  The Commission for Conventional Armaments is currently engaged
  in discussions on Item 3 of its plan of, work despite the absence of the
  representative of the Soviet Union. Item 3 consists of "consdertion
  of practical and effective safeguards by means of an international
  system of control operating through special organs (and by other
  means) to protect complying states against the hazards of violations
  and evasions". The United States attaches great importance to the
  thorough consideration of Item 3. The United States has introduced
  into the Commission for Conventional Armaments four papers ex-
  pressing the general views of this Government with respect to the
  scope and nature of the "safeguards" field. These papers constitute
the
  core of substantive consideration of this problem since the Fourth
  Regular Session of the General Assembly, and in fact represent the
  substance of the Commission's report to the Security Council for its
  activities since the Fourth Regular Session of the General Assembly.
  The four United States papers constitute general guidance on the
substance of Item 3-"Safeguards"'
   The general views of the United States contained in the four papers
 will undoubtedly serve as the basis for future discussion in the Com-
 mission for Conventional Armaments.
 Any substantive proposals made during the Fifth Regular Session
 of the General Assemblyshould be referred to the Commission for
 Conventional Armaments for consideration within the framework of
 its established plan of work.
 It is obvious that a system for regulationa and reduction of con-
 'For information regarding the United States papers and the report of the
Commission, see editorial note, p. 75.


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