                                ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, September 25, 1996          TAG: 9609250071
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL   PAGE: A-4  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: UNITED NATIONS
SOURCE: Associated Press

CLINTON SIGNS NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY AT U.N. BUT INDIA'S BALKING PREVENTS MEASURE FROM BECOMING LAW

The United States and the world's major nuclear powers overrode the objections of India on Tuesday and signed a treaty to end all testing and development of nuclear weapons.

President Clinton signed the treaty with the same pen President John F. Kennedy used to sign the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty.

India, one of the countries that must sign the treaty for it to become law, refused to endorse the pact because it does not require nuclear powers to scrap weapons. India borders China, which has nuclear weapons, and Pakistan, which is believed to be capable of making nuclear arms.

Nevertheless, supporters believe the treaty as signed will make it difficult for any country to conduct nuclear test explosions in defiance of international opinion.

The 1963 treaty prohibited nuclear test explosions in the atmosphere, in space and underwater, but permitted them underground; the 1974 Threshold Test Ban Treaty set a size limit on underground test explosions; and the new treaty bans all test explosions, including underground blasts.

By signing the treaty, Clinton promised to create a ``better, safer world,'' one that ``will help to prevent the nuclear powers from developing more advanced and more dangerous weapons.

``It will limit the ability of other states to acquire such devices themselves. It points us toward a century in which the nuclear weapons can be further reduced and ultimately eliminated.''

Clinton was followed by representatives of the world's other declared nuclear powers - China, France, Russia and Britain. By the end of Tuesday, 71 nations had signed the treaty.

Israel, which is believed to have nuclear capabilities, is to sign today.

Australia was credited with saving the treaty, which had foundered in Geneva when India refused to sign, by bringing it to the General Assembly. The move followed widespread outrage in Australia last year when France conducted nuclear tests in French Polynesia.

U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali presided over Tuesday's signing.

Earlier, he and Clinton met briefly. U.N. spokesman Sylvana Foa said they discussed the ethnic crisis in Burundi and terrorism but avoided talking about U.S. opposition to Boutros-Ghali's re-election.

LENGTH: Medium:   51 lines

by CNB