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
