16. Telegram 3522 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State1
3522. Disto. Subj: Soviet Views on Comprehensive Test Ban (CTB).
1. During general review of disarmament subjects on Sept 28 between Soviet FonOff disarmament official (Shustov) and U.S. DelOff (Neidle), Shustov expressed fairly definite views re necessity for PRC and French participation in a CTB. Shustov said that Soviets believed underground test ban should be accepted by all countries that were testing, including PRC and France. U.S. DelOff said he had carefully followed Sov statements on this subject at Geneva. He had received impression that Sovs had stated their desire to end testing by everyone everywhere as a general objective, and Sov DelOffs in Geneva had informed us that Sov Govt had not taken any decision whether in fact PRC and French adherence would be required for underground test ban.
2. Shustov replied that it was Sov position that all nuclear powers should adhere to a comprehensive test ban. He commented that some people believed that the “others” (meaning PRC and France) were at quite primitive stage of nuclear development and therefore it should be possible to conclude CTB without them. However, if this were to be done, there would be a “mine” underlying the CTB which might have to go off at some future time, i.e., Soviets might at some uncertain time have to declare that supreme interests were threatened and withdraw. This would not be a good situation. Shustov added that it did not seem right for some nuclear powers to have to stop testing in every environment when some others could test not only in the atmosphere but also underground.
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Summary: The mission reported a Soviet disarmament official’s “definite views” concerning the necessity for the People’s Republic of China and France to participate in a comprehensive test ban.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, [no film number]. Confidential. Repeated to Moscow, London, the Mission in Geneva, and the Mission to NATO.
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