Monday, April 10, 1972, Biological Weapons Convention Signing Ceremony
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OCR Page 1 of 9(Andrews) RP
April 10, 1972
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS
BIOLOGICAL WARFARE TREATY SIGNING
1. The principle affirmed by this convention is that disease must be
the common enemy of all men, not a weapon to be used by some men
against others. This ancient and basic humanitarian instinct will
henceforth have the force of international law.
2. Special significance of the treaty: On this occasion at least modern nations
have completely forsworn a type of warfare without ever using it on the
battlefield. This time at least we did not have to learn the hard way.
3. U.S. contribution: Our renunciation of biological and toxin weapons
represented a unilateral risk for peace which is now repaid by this
multilateral agreement for peace. Ceremonies today in London and
Moscow emphasize what great powers can do when they set their energies
to the task. Britain advanced an original draft and the Soviet Union made
a close counter-proposal which provided the basis for negotiation at Geneva.
4. Removal of disease as a weapon of war promises to give impetus to
removal of disease, period. Here too the U.S. is doing its part, with
Fort Detrick converted to cancer conquest research and Pine Bluff to
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