Beyond Cuba

  It is a symptom of our times that although the united States and Soviet Russia have averted a catastrophic collision over Cuba, we and the whole North Atlantic alliance have to remain on the military alert until the agreement on dismantling the soviet nuclear bases in the island is actually carried out.

  There are compelling reasons for continued caution. One is the bleak Soviet record of broken promises since the war, plus the chance that Premier Khrushchev may now try to push hard on Berlin. Another is Premier Castro's belligerent posture.

  Nevertheless the settlement of the Cuban crisis has proceeded far enough to inspire people everywhere to look beyond Cuba to a solution of the wider problems dividing East and West. These problems range from Berlin to Vietnam and Korea, but at the center is the armaments race. If that race, the symbol of mutual distrust, can be arrested and replaced by progress toward mutual disarmament, political solutions would be greatly facilitated, and such solutions would in turn make practicable further disarmament.

  In his Cuban agreement Premier Khrushchev has introduced a new element that could be of great significance. He has agreed not only to nuclear disarmament of Cuba; he has made that subject to United Nations, that is, international, inspection. Thus Premier Khrushchev has been willing to go beyond Mr. Thant's own plan for Cuba, which called for suspension both of Soviet arms shipments and of our "quarantine" without any controls. In his Cuban arrangement, the Soviet Premier has also gone further than the neutralist's plan for inspection of suspected nuclear underground tests by invitation only.

  Of course Cuba is not Soviet Russia. It is a mere satellite. but as Mr. Macmillan points out, having accepted the principle of international inspection in one sphere Mr. Khrushchev may-and should-be willing to accept it in other areas, even on Soviet soil, especially since the Western inspection demands have been reduced to an absolute minimum. If his statement that his and the Western positions on a test ban are "very close" is it to be taken as a hint that he is now willing to accept such an inspection, an agreement on this issue and an end to testing would be in sight. Once this much is achieved, the doors would be open to further agreement on disarmament and ultimately to a peace settlement that could end the cold war.