4 February 1958
Dear Sir:
In C&EN for 27 January 1958, page 28, there appeared an account of a petition signed
by 9235 scientists from 44 countries, uring [sic] that an international agreement
to stop the testing of nuclear bombs be made now, as a first step toward a more general
disarmament.
In the article in C&EN it is said that a spokesman for the U.S. mission says that
it plans no action on this measure, unless Russia agrees to certain arms inspections
and controls which she has previously refused.
This statement seems to me to be not quite right. It is my understanding, which I
have checked in a conversation with Mr. Stassen, that in the recent past Russia has
proposed that an agreement be made to stop the testing of nuclear weapons, with an
effective system of control and inspection, and that the United States has proposed
that the agreement to stop bomb tests with control and inspection be made together
with an agreement to stop the stockpiling of further nuclear weapons.
Our petition to the United Nations does not specify what sort of an agreement should
be made. It would, of course, have to be acceptable to the nations involved. I think
that it should be possible, by negotiation, to formulate an acceptable compromise
agreement that would benefit all nations and all people.
Sincerely yours,
Linus Pauling:w
