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which could not adequately be considered in discussions that included conventional armaments. Soviet spokesmen, on the other hand, wanted to discuss the atomic bomb in relation to other armaments in the Conven- tional Armaments Commission when that commission was established. They discounted the peculiar problems presented by atomic weapons, and accused the Americans of delaying discussions of convencional arms until agreement was reached on atomic weapons. They stressed the unreslity of keeping the discussions separate when national security involved both types of armament. Happily, this aspect of the cuntroversy has now been termi- nated, The tide turned in October 1950 when President Truman suggested that the wo commissions be consolidated. More than a year later, speaking to the General Assembly in Paris, Secre- tary of State Dean Acheson announced: “. . . We favor the merger of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Conven- tional Arms Commission. This I say quite frankly is a change in the position of the United States.” With the ice broken, all parties admitted the desirability of the merger which was con- summated by the General Assembly on January 11, 1952. The new Disarmament Commission is set up “under the Security Council.” Like cach of its two predecessors it normally has a membership of 12—one for each member of the Security Council plus Canada, Ir was instructed to become operative within 30 dayS*The chairmanship is to rotate each month among its members. Instructed to submit its first report not later than June 1, 1952, che Commission is required to make detailed studies and to prepare plans and treaties. Moreover, when the Commission's work progresses to a point where any parc of its program is ready to be submitted, the Secretary General is requested to convene a disarmament conference. The cyes of an armament-burdened world will be hopefully focussed on the new Commission as it attempts to set the stage for further agreement. Banning the Bomb All nations favor the banning of atomic weapons and other means of mass de- struction of civil life. All nations also approve the necessary corollary of the proposed ban—an international system of 14 control designed to ensure faithful compliance with it. Appar- ently, all parties agree that sooner or later the.ban should prohibit national states and private parties from xsing, pos- sessing and manufacturing atomic and other weapons of muss destruction. However, differences exist aver the type of controls re- quired and over “timing” of the program. Nevertheless, the fact remains that there appears to be agreement on the desir- ability of banning atomic weapons. Regulating Conventional Arms Another general area of agreement between the nations is that conventional armaments and armed forces should be regulated, limited and reduced, At one time con- troversy arose as to what “conventional arms and armed forces” should include. There is now substantial agreement that these categories should include (2) all armaments not classified as weapons of mass destruction, (b) military, naval and air bases, and (c) armed forces of all types including para-military, security and police forces. : However, two principal obstacles to further agreement have been encountered. One is the dispute over whether a census of armaments should include atomic weapons. The other is the consinuing disagreement as co whether the reduc- tional in conventional arms should be “progressive and balanced” or by a flat percentage. Concerning the first, the United States, with a monopoly of atomic weapons, wanted no census until a “foolproof” plan of control had been agreed upon and put into operation. The Soviets, on tho other hand, without atomic weapons at the time the dispute arose, demanded that the Commission for Conven- tional Armaments conduct a census that would include bath types of armament, The American view prevailed, and the stalemate already mentioned continued. The United States, in proposing the merger of the two old commissions, has agreed to a census of atomic weapons, provided less secret weapons have first been disclosed and verified. It is now agreed, there- fore, that the census should include weapons of all types, pro- vided the “stages” problem can be resolved. As to the second obstacle, Soviet spokesmen have insisted 15