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Approved For Release 2004/02/19 : CIA-RDP83-00415R006800050005-6 Y. A. Malik’s Answers to Questions Of Maryland Peace Committee XPRESSING the striving of broad E circles of American pcople to assure peace, the peace committee functioning in the State of Maryland addressed the following letter to Y. A. Malik, perma- nent representative of the USSR on the Security Council, on behalf of the popu- lation of Maryland and the city of Baltimore: “Dear Ambassador Malik: “Hoping that the current session of the United Nations General Assembly will consider the question of the peace- ful settlement of hostilities now in prog- ress in Korea and the main differences between the United States and the So- viet Union, the population of Balti- more has sent an open letter to the American and Soviet Governments through the delegations representing them at the United Nations. We ask you to receive a small delegation on September 19, 1950, which will deliver this letter to you. “We are writing this open letter ex- pecting that the frank and public re- plies of both Governments will create a basis upon which peaceful negoti- ations can be conducted. We are con- vinced that war is not inevitable, that a way can be found for the peaceful set- tlement of those differences which have brought us to the threshold of an atomic war. Now the question whether there shall be one indivisible peace or none at all arises with greater acuteness than ever before.” The letter signed by more than 1,000 Baltimore residents, including 95 clergymen and public leaders, put the four following questions: “1. Will your Government promise not to be the first to use the atom bomb? “2, Do you support the proposal for general disarmament and the prohi- bition of the atomic weapon by all states under a strict system of control and in- spection carried out by the United Na- tions? OCTOBER 13, 1950 “3, Do you support (or will you agree to) the proposal to call a con- ference of the top level leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to discuss the differences existing between the United States and the Soviet Union, in, order to help achieve peace through- out the world? “4, Do you support a free exchange of ideas and information between the peoples of these two countries in order to achieve mutual understanding which is essential for a durable peace? “These questions are put with the firm belief that affirmative answers would open the way to peaceful nego- tiations — the sole alternative of a third world war. The lives of millions of people the world over depend on the results of such efforts as ours. We are convinced that you will take into con- sideration the necessity of the broadest possible participation of the peoples in determining the fate of the negotiations being held at present, and will accord us the opportunity to submit this peace message to one of the members of your delegation on September 19, 1950. “We are with you in the cause of the defense of peace. “Ruri BLEIER, Chairman.” A similar letter was sent to the dele- gation of the United States. oO” September 25, Y. A. Malik re- ceived the delegation of this com- mittee which consisted of Ganter Wer- theiner, Clergyman Levy Miller, Mrs. Mary Cleveland, and Mrs. Phyllis Sugar. Malik gave this delegation affirmative replies to all the above four questions put by the Maryland Peace Committee. In his talk with the delegation, Y. A. Malik said that he replies affirmatively to the four questions put to him, as the Soviet delegate to the United Nations, by this committee. The members of the delegation ex- pressed full satisfaction with the reply given by Malik and said that they in- tended to visit on the same day the Unit- ed States delegation to the United Na- tions in order to obtain an official reply from the United States Government to the similar four questions forwarded by the Maryland Peace Committee to the United States delegation to the United Nations. Y. A. Malik’s conversation with the delegation proceeded in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. The leader of the Maryland delegation, Mr. Ganter Wer- theiner, told Malik that the strengthen- ing and preservation of peace, prohibit- ing the use of the atomic weapon, and the peaceful settlement of all the out- standing questions between the United States and the USSR, as. well as the strengthening of friendship between the American and Soviet peoples, are ar- dently desired not only by the entire population of the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland but also by all the people in the United States of America. The delegation handed Malik a mes- sage to the Governments of the USSR and the United States signed by 1,150 Baltimore citizens. This message re- peats the four questions put to Malik in the aforementioned letter. In connection with the presentation of this message to the Governments of the USSR and the United States the dele- gates also handed to Y. A. Malik for release to the press the text of the com- mittee’s statement which reads: Statement of the Maryland Peace Committee “Presentation of the open letter to the Governments of the United States and the Soviet Union. “September 25, 1950 “In the profound hope that the cur- rent session of the General Assembly will see the foundation laid for durable peace through the peaceful settlement of the Korean war and also of the main differences between the United States and the USSR, the population of Bal- timore addresses this open letter to you. 603 Approved For Release 2004/02/19 : CIA-RDP83-00415R006800050005-6