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DATE=10/5/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=CLINTON-TEST BAN (L) NUMBER=2-254696 BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: President Clinton is working against time to try to line up -- by next Tuesday -- enough Senate votes to ratify the global treaty banning underground nuclear tests. V-O-A's David Gollust reports from the White House. TEXT: Republican opponents ended delaying tactics and set the vote next week, confident that the President could not muster the two-thirds Senate majority needed for ratification. But Mr. Clinton has taken up the challenge, scheduling a virtually non-stop series of public events and private meetings with Senators in an effort to turn the tide in favor of the treaty. Meeting reporters here, Mr. Clinton said rejection of the treaty would send a "terrible message" to the world and reverse a leadership role in arms control that began with the Republican Eisenhower administration of the 1950's: /// CLINTON ACT /// We have been a leader for non-proliferation including for the concept of a test ban treaty since time of Dwight Eisenhower. He's the first person who recommended this. And before this Congress it would have been unthinkable that a treaty of this kind, particularly with the strengthening reservations I have offered to work with Congress to put it, it would have been unthinkable before this Congress that such a treaty would not pass. /// END ACT /// Republicans say the treaty is unverifiable, and would eliminate the United States' ability to test the reliability of its nuclear arsenal. Arizona Senator John Kyle says rogue states have continued seeking a weapons capability despite the nuclear non- proliferation treaty and it would be "naive" to think that having the test ban would be any different: /// KYLE ACTUALITY /// Since this treaty can not be verified, since countries we believe today are violating an existing treaty against nuclear proliferation, and since we need to be able to determine whether or not our weapons - our deterrent upon which much of the world relies - are safe and reliable, this is not the time to be committing ourselves to a treaty that precludes all testing by the United States forever. /// END ACT /// Mr. Clinton planned a pro-treaty event for Wednesday that would include present and former U-S military commanders, Nobel Laureates and others - the President seemingly undaunted by forecasts, even from Democrats, that he is far short of the support needed to get the test ban through the Senate. (Signed) NEB/DAG/TVM/WTW 05-Oct-1999 18:52 PM EDT (05-Oct-1999 2252 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .