THE INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY CAME INTO EFFECT TODAY (THURSDAY) WHEN THE UNITED STATES AND SOVIET UNION PRESENTED THEIR INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION AT CEREMONIES IN LONDON, MOSCOW AND WASHINGTON. IN LONDON, PRIME MINISTER HAROLD WILSON HAILED THE TREATY AS THE FIRST STEP WHICH WILL POSSIBLY LEAD TO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARMS CONTROL NEGOTIATIONS SINCE THE LAST WORLD WAR...ARMS LIMITATION TALKS BETWEEN AMERICA AND THE SOVIET UNION.

THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY WAS NEGOTIATED 20 MONTHS AGO. IT WAS DESIGNED TO STOP THE SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. NEARLY 100 COUNTRIES SIGNED THE TREATY...BUT IT COULDN'T COME INTO FORCE UNTIL AT LEAST 43 NATIONS...INCLUDING BRITAIN, THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION... HAD RATIFIED IT.

AT TODAY'S CEREMONY IN LONDON'S LANCASTER HOUSE THE U.S. AND THE U.S.S.R. DEPOSITED THEIR INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION.

BRITAIN'S FOREIGN SECRETARY, MR. MICHAEL STEWART HAD THIS TO SAY AT THE LONDON CEREMONY....
PRIME MINISTER HAROLD WILSON HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT THE SIGNING....