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Great Bend Tribune Great Bend, Kansas Thursday, October 05, 1961
Mrs. Khruschchev Says Russia Isn't Building Bomb Shelters
Moscow (AP)—Mrs. Nikita Khrushchev told a group of Western “peace marchers” today that the Soviet Union was making no effort to build air raid shelters.
“There is no defense in a nuclear war,” said Nina Khrushchev, the wife of the premier. “Therefore we are not building any bomb shelters. We are not getting ready.”
Mrs. Khrushchev made her remarks after spending an hour exchanging pleasantries and debating disarmament with the marchers, who arrived here Tuesday. The debate took place at Moscow's “House of Friendship,” where Mrs. Khrushchev's aides served tea, chocolate and apples.
Most of the marchers did their best to convince Mrs. Khrushchev that, if the world refuses to disarm, one country should set a good example by discarding all its armaments. Mrs. Khrushchev declined to agree.
“We do not want to be the only ones who throw our bombs into the ocean,” she said.
She added that in the past 40 years, the Soviet Union has had many unfortunate experiences with war and does not want to be in a position where it could be trampled upon again.
Thirty-one persons from the United States and Western Europe participated in the march, which began in December of last year in San Francisco. Among those having tea with Mrs. Khrushchev were: Bea Herrick of Chicago, Millie Gilbertsen of New York, Jules Rabin of New York and Regina Fischer of New York, mother of the U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer.
