July 20, 1963 - Delegates of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain reached tentative agreement tonight on a draft treaty to forbid nuclear testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. (Pictured below, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman confers with Pres. Kennedy July 10 before departing for Moscow to participate in negotiations.) It was understood that the closed three-power conference in Moscow had referred the draft to the respective governments for review and possible alterations. Approval of a final draft is expected early next week. While the negotiation of the treaty is virtually completed, there still is no certainty in Moscow that it would be signed and put into effect. The signing is said to depend on how the Soviet Union intends to link the signing of the partial nuclear test-ban treaty with the negotiations of a nonaggression agreement. Moscow has proposed such an agreement between NATO and the Warsaw Pact organization, which is the East European military grouping. If the Soviet Union insists, as it did prior to the three-power talks, on a protocol for a nonaggression treaty that would entail recognition of East Germany, the member nations of NATO would reject it.
Comments