Atlanta Daily World

JFK, Macmillan Hit Nikita Bomb Refusal

HYANNIS PORT, Mass. (UPI) President Kennedy and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan Saturday night expressed "deepest regret" that Russia refuses to halt nuclear testing in the atmosphere.

The leaders of the United States and Great Britain also said refusal of Soviet Premier Nikita S Khrushchev to halt pollution of the atmosphere with radioactive debris was a violation of previous Soviet statements of concern for the health hazards of such testing.

Although there was no evidence from the Kremlin Saturday of any willingness to curtail the current series of Soviet test shots, Kennedy and Macmillan reaffirmed their willingness to negotiate a nuclear test ban agreement "of the widest possible scope."

The joint statement was issued at the temporary White House on Cape Cod, where the President is spending the weekend with his family, and in London.

Kennedy and Macmillan last Sunday sent Khrushchev a proposal for an immediate three-nation agreement to forego above-ground testing. They gave the Russians until Saturday to reply.

Khrushchev responded this morning with a flat refusal which the Western Allies had expected.

He said such an agreement would not bind France which tested independently following the start of the American moratorium on tests in October, 1958. Russia resumed testing late last week and has fired four atmospheric tests.

The joint statement was issued after translated versions Khrushchev's reply were forwarded from Moscow to London and Washington. Kennedy was convinced by the continued Russian test explosions that Khrushchev would not accept the proposed ban, but the President and the Prime Minister held up their statement until the Soviet premier's language could be studied in detail.