A FIRST MILESTONE . ."

President Nixon proclaimed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to be in force at a formal, historic ceremony held March 5 in the flag-bedecked International Conference Room of the Department.

The President, in signing a Proclamation of the Treaty, termed the instrument banning the spread of nuclear weapons "a first milestone on the road to reducing the danger of war."

Under the Treaty, the nuclear powers agree not to provide atomic weapons to non-nuclear states and the non-nuclear countries pledge not to acquire them.

At the Department ceremony, completing the process of bringing the treaty into force, the United States, the Soviet Union, and six other countries deposited Instruments of Ratification. Parallel ceremonies were held in Moscow at which Premier Alexei N. Kosygin of the Soviet Union presided, and in London.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed by the United States, as well as Britain and the Soviet Union, July 1, 1968.

At the time, President Johnson hailed the Treaty as "the most important international agreement since the beginning of the nuclear age."

However, the Treaty could not go into effect until Instruments of Ratification were deposited in either Washington, London, or Moscow by at least 43 nations, including the U.S., U.S.S.R., and the United Kingdom.

During the Department ceremony, President Nixon was seated at the center of the dais in the International Conference Room, with Secretary Rogers at his right, and Gerard Smith, Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), and William C. Foster, former ACDA Director, at his left.

Also on the dais was John R. Stevenson, the Legal Adviser to the Department.

At the request of Secretary Rogers, who opened the proceedings, Mr. Stevenson announced that Instruments of Ratification had previously been deposited in Washington by 34 countries.

Mr. Stevenson asked the representatives of those countries to rise momentarily as he called the names of the countries in the order in which

Charles I. Bevans, Assistant Legal Adviser, then received the Instruments presented for deposit by representatives of Ethiopia, Malaysia, Laos, Mali, Jamaica and Liberia. The Laos, Mali, Jamaica and Liberia. The Soviet Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly N. Dobrynin, deposited his country's Ratification Instruments and Ambassador Smith followed with the United States Instruments of Ratification. The United Kingdom had deposited its ratification on November 27, 1968.

A capacity crowd of over 500 attended the impressive ceremony, which included Members of Congress, as well as many foreign diplomats and United States officials.

In brief remarks, Secretary Rogers called the ceremony "an event of unique significance to the security of the entire world."

"By signing this Treaty, 97 nations have signified their intention that nuclear war weapons not be transferred to non-nuclear countries, and that any transfers of nuclear materials for peaceful uses be made only under international safeguards.

"Now, 47 of those nations, by ratifying the Treaty and depositing their ratifications in Washington, London, or Moscow, are making the Treaty a binding international obligation."

President Nixon said in his remarks:

"With the completion of this ceremony, this Treaty is now in force and has become the law of the land.

"Mr. Secretary, I would like to be permitted something beyond that formal statement which puts the Treaty

in force.

"I feel that on an occasion like this, an historic occasion, it is well to pay tribute to some of those, both in

our Government and in other Governments, who have been responsible for the success in negotiating this Treaty.

"First, in our own Government, I should point out that the Treaty spans three Administrations-the Kennedy Administration, the Johnson Administration, and its completion in this Administration.

"It was primarily negotiated during the Johnson Administration. And we very much regret that he was unable to attend this ceremony due to an illness, which I understand will be

if he is looking on television that he has seen this ceremony and the culmination of, I know, what was one of his major objectives during his Administration, the ratification of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"Having spoken of President Johnson and his Administration, I think it is also appropriate to speak of the negotiating team. Seated at this table is William C. Foster. In speaking of him, I speak of all the men who worked with him.

"I can speak with some experience in that respect. I remember on two occasions when I was in Genevawhen I was out of office with no influence in the Administration in Washington and very little influence in my own Party-Mr. Foster felt so strongly about this Treaty that he took much of his time to explain it and also to present the facts in an effective way as to why the Treaty was in the best interest of the United States, as well as the other nations involved. In other words, what was involved here was not only negotiation on his part and on the other members of his team, but a very effective and necessary program of education.

"And for that long and at times very frustrating and at times almost, it seemed, impossible task, we can congratulate him and all the members of the Diplomatic Corps who worked as he did for that Treaty.

"And on this occasion, too, I wish to pay respect to the Members of the House and Senate that are here.

"This Treaty indicates both the continuity of American foreign policy in its search for a just peace, and it also indicates its bipartisan character; because without bipartisan support in the Senate, where the Treaty received the consent of the Senate, and bipartisan support in the House as well, this Treaty could not go into effect as it has today.

"And, finally, I wish to pay tribute and express appreciation to all the representatives of the other Governments that are present here today.

"The fact that so many governments have brought this Treaty into effect is an indication of the immense desire that exists among all people in the world, to reduce the danger of war and to find a way peacefully to settle our differences.

"This is indeed an historic occa

sion. As I sit here today, I only hope that those of us who were fortunate enough to be present will look back one day and see that this was the first milestone on a road which led to reducing the danger of nuclear war and on a road which led to lasting peace among nations.

"This milestone, as has already been indicated, results in nonproliferation of nuclear weapons to the extent that the nations participating in this ceremony and who have ratified the treaty have indicated.

"The next milestone, we trust, will be the limitation of nuclear weapons, the historic strategic arms limitation talks which will enter their second phase on April 15 in Vienna. And we note the fact that when Prime Minister Kosygin signed the Treaty in Moscow today, reference was made to those talks.

"We trust that on April 15 the climate for progress in those talks will be good and that we can at some time in the future look forward to a cere

"And then finally, of course, we trust that the third milestone will be continued progress in reducing the political tensions, the differences between governments which make it necessary for us to consider that we must maintain armed forces to the degree that we maintain them.

"This is the work of all of us, the work of the Diplomats, the work of the men of peace and all of us I think can be so described today.

"And so, Mr. Secretary, on this historic occasion, let us trust that we will look back and say that this was one of the first and major steps in that process in which the nations of the world moved from a period of confrontation to a period of negotiation and a period of lasting peace."

A colorful highlight came early in the proceedings as the diplomatic representatives of the 34 countries that had previously deposited Instruments of Ratification rose momen

son.

Next, representatives deposited instruments for Ethiopia, Malaysia, Laos, Mali, Jamaica, and Liberia.

After noting that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland had previously deposited its ratification, Mr. Stevenson asked British Ambassador John Freeman to rise momentarily.

He then called upon the United States and the Soviet Union to deposit their ratifications.

"Mr. President and Mr. Secretary," Mr. Stevenson concluded, "I am happy to inform you that as of this day, the total number of ratifications required for the entry into force of the Non-Proliferation Treaty have been received and found to be in proper order. The Treaty is ready to be proclaimed in force between the United States of America and the 46 other States that have deposited their instruments of ratification."