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OCR Page 1 of 95THE SOVIET UNION AND
DISARMAMENT
In his speech before the U. N. General Assembly on 29
After the agencies are established they will operate free
October 1946, Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov offered the
of the veto. Mr. Molotov clearly stated that the "observ-
proposal that (1) the General Assembly "consider a
ance of the principle of unanimity of the five great Powers
general reduction in armaments necessary;" (2) in im-
is
necessary for those decisions by the Security
plementing a decision on arms reduction, "the banning
Council referring to the establishment" of the control
of the manufacture and use of atomic energy for military
agencies.
purposes" should be "primary objective;" (3) the General
He also said that the agencies will "work in accordance
Assembly recommend that the Security Council provide
with those rules drawn up for them by the Security Coun-
for the achievement of the above objectives; and (4) the
cil." The fact remains that the strength or weakness of
General Assembly call upon all States to assist the Security
these agencies still depends upon the will of the permanent
Council in accomplishing its task.
members of the Security Council.
At the opening of the U. N. disarmament debates before
The U. S. S. R. continues to insist that the atomic bomb
the Political and Security Committee on 28 November
be outlawed, and that stockpiles be destroyed, before safe-
1946, Mr. Molotov added the following amendment to his
guards are established. Mr. Molotov made no mention of
earlier proposal : that, within the framework of the Secu-
United States insistence that the veto have no influence
rity Council provisions be made for "the establishment of
over the execution of punishment of violators; nor did he
special organs of inspection" which would be: (1) a
discuss the American plan for an independent authority
commission for the control of armament reduction, and
for atomic energy problems.
(2) a commission for the control of the prohibition of
the military use of atomic energy.
Previous Soviet Disarmament Proposals
The Soviets' proposal for a system of international
inspection was a reversal of their earlier suggestion of
In estimating current Soviet disarmament intentions,
national inspection. The U. S. S. R. plan made no mention
consideration should be given to Soviet disarmament pro-
of the veto power of the permanent members of the Secur-
posals in the period between World Wars I and II. In
ity Council, or of mass destruction weapons other than
the early 1920's the new Soviet Republic had already
atomic weapons.
abandoned a policy of militant revolution on the diplo-
On 29 November 1946 the Canadian delegate submitted
matic level. The economic chaos resulting from the war,
his nation's resolution on disarmament. It included not
revolution, and civil war had left the Soviet State in
only the elimination of atomic weapons from national
no condition to back up an aggressive foreign policy aimed
armaments, but also "all other major weapons adaptable to
at the overthrow of the existing economic and political
mass destruction." This was accepted by the U. S. S. R. on
systems of the major World Powers or their satellites.
4 December 1946 when Mr. Molotov also set forth the
The Genoa Conference of 1922 marked initial Soviet par-
Soviet position regarding the veto. In reply to Senator
ticipation in the international assemblies which attempted
Connally's remarks concerning the "atomic bomb of the
to organize the peace following World War I. The So-
veto," Molotov stated that the veto power would have "no
viet Government proposed general disarmament at the
relation at all" to the enforcement of the general reduction
Genoa Conference, but the proposal was not discussed.
of armament and to the elimination of atomic weapons and
It is significant that, during the first week of the Genoa
other weapons of mass destruction after enforcement and
Conference, the Soviet Government concluded the Treaty
inspection machinery had been set up by the Security
of Rappallo with Germany. This treaty was the begin-
Council.
ning of a Soviet-German entente which enabled the Ger-
Under the oviet plan, the commissions or agencies to
man General Staff to develop experienced military tech-
control arms reduction and atomic and mass destruction
nical and tactical cadres through training the Red Army
weapons will be established by the Security Council. The
and using its facilities for large-scale practice and ex-
Security Council will set forth the powers of these agen-
perimentation. In 1927 the Soviet Government attended
cies; and, during the time it is debating the problem, its
the Preparatory Commission of the Disarmament Con-
permanent members will be free to exercise their veto.
ference, where, on 30 November, Foreign Commissar M.
94
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