Monday, October 22, 1962

THE WASHINGTON POST

Sharing Atoms

Recently again the ques ion
has been raised as to whether
the United States should ex-
tend the sharing of nuclear
weapons development know-
how with its allies, in partic-
ular with France.

In favor of such transfer of
military potential to allied
military establishments it has
been said that it would save
them needless expense and
effort. It has been said that
failure, on the -part of the
United States, to effect such
transfer agreements would
only enhance independent de-
velopment of nuclear weapons
by these countries, in which
case the United States would

have less control over such
emerging nuclear powers.

These reasonings seem to
us somehow too clever. Years
ago Senator Humphrey made
the pointed remark, “I jove
our allies, but I am not too
sure of their colonels.”

Those who plead for “nu-
clear transfers” seem to miss
the core of the challenge to
our nuclear policy: Do we
have the moral vigor to stop
this criminal nuclear missile
race?

Our only chance to get this
menace under control is to
exercise huidtane  responsi-
bility and = restraint rather
than to become guilty by
placing a tool of moral de-
pravity into a foreign politi-
eian’s hand.

The fate of the United
States and of the world hinges
upon the possibility of reach-
ing an international accord —
under United Nations auspices
and control as _ repeatedly
urged by W. Sterling Cole, the
former director of the Inter-
national Atomic Agency — an
accord which has the effect of
curbing the spread of the
possession of nuclear weapons
to more and more national
governments. The presently
eonsidered steps achieve the
opposite.

HERBERT JEHLE.

Washington.