Nuclear Weapons [1956]

THIS PAPER APPEARED as “Nuclear Weapons Must Not Be Used”, New Times, Moscow, 14, no. 39 (Sept. 1956): 8-9, and simultaneously in the Russian, German and French-language editions of this Soviet publication (B&R C56.14). It opened with a message to the second World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs in Nagasaki from 9-11 August 1956. The 5,000 Japanese delegates to this meeting “represented every political party and a broad array of organizations, including women’s associations, religious and scientific bodies, unions and pacifist groups” (Wittner 1997, 10). Representatives from seven other countries were in attendance as well, and messages of support were received from, amongst others, Nehru and President Magsaysay of the Philippines. Russell’s short expression of goodwill was dictated a week or so after his finished text had been sent for publication. The revised opening was omitted from the published version, however, possibly because the conference in question was not Communist-led, or simply because it had already taken place by the time that Russell’s article appeared. But given the explicit nature of the instruction (also in Edith Russell’s hand) which accompanied the insertion-“Add to piece for Moscow New Times at beginning”—it has been added to Paper 9.