THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary
                           (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                   January 28, 1998

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

                   Statement by the Former Chairmen of the 
                    Joint Chiefs of Staff on Ratification 
                     of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

The President announced during last night's State of the Union address that the Comprehensive Test Ban (CTB) Treaty and its accompanying Safeguards package has been endorsed by four distinguished Former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: General John Shalikashvili, General Colin Powell, Admiral William Crowe and General David Jones.

The President called on the Senate to approve the CTB Treaty this year, stating that by ending nuclear testing, we can help to prevent the development of new and more dangerous weapons, and make it more difficult for non-nuclear states to build them.

Attached is the statement by the former JCS Chairmen. Also attached are two fact sheets on the CTB Treaty, Safeguards and Reasons for Ratification.

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January 27, 1998

                    STATEMENT BY FORMER CHAIRMEN OF THE 
                           JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF 
                     JOHN SHALIKASHVILI, COLIN POWELL, 
                       WILLIAM CROWE AND DAVID JONES

Ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

On September 22, 1997, President Clinton submitted the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban (CTB) Treaty to the United States Senate for its advice and consent, together with six Safeguards that define the conditions under which the United States will enter into this Treaty. These Safeguards will strengthen our commitments in the areas of intelligence, monitoring and verification, stockpile stewardship, maintenance of our nuclear laboratories, and test readiness. They also specify the circumstances under which the President would be prepared, in consultation with Congress, to exercise our supreme national interest rights under the CTB to conduct necessary testing if the safety or reliability of our nuclear deterrent could no longer be certified. With these Safeguards, we support Senate approval of the CTB Treaty.