WASHINGTON (UPI) — President
Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid I.
Brezhnev pledged today to avoid
military confrontations and threats of
force that might lead to nuclear war
between their two nations,

In a policy declaration, the leaders of
the two nuclear superpowers agreed to
“immediately enter into urgent con-
sultations with each other” should the
Tisk of a nuclear conflict arise.

Nixon and Brezhnev signed the
agreement —-the eighth since the start
of their summit talks —in a ceremony in
the East Room of the White House a few
hours before their scheduled departure
aboard the presidential jetliner for San
 Clemente, Calif., for the conclusion of
their week-long conference.

. In the agreement, the two leaders
promised that the United States and the
Soviet Union “will act in such a manner
as to prevent the development of
situations capable of causing a
dangerous exacerbation of their
relations, as to avoid military con-
frontations, and to exclude the outbreak
of nuclear war between them and
between either of the parties and other
countries,"

The accord also calls for the
signatories to proceed from the premise
that each will refrain “from the threat
or use of force against the other party,-
 against the allies of the cther party, and
against other countries, in cir-
cumstances which may endanger in-
ternational peace and security,”

In advance of the signing, Nixon
briefed congressional leaders of both
parties on the declaration, which is a
statement of policy —not a treaty — and
therefore does not require Senate
ratification.

Presidential adviser Henry A.
Kissinger said the intent of the doctrine
was ‘to prevent the outbreak of nuclear
war.”

The decision of the two leaders to hold
a third summit conference in as many
years was announced at a lavish
banquet at the Soviet Embassy. In a
jovial atmosphere, Nixon and Brezhnev
dined and toasted each other after
signing pacts earlier in the day to speed
nuclear arms negotiations and
cooperate in research on peaceful uses
of nuclear energy.

Before they boarded the “Spirit of 76”
for a late afternoon flight to the Western
White House, Brezhnev arranged to
meet with 40 American businessmen to

sell them on expanded trade with
Russia.

(See 2 on Pose Twa)
 
Dozen Persons Unaccounted for—Fear Many More
Bodies Will Be Found in Ruins—Believe 17
Negroes Working in Center of Building were
All Killed-——Several of Injured
Eynected tran Me,
  

Oo

SHELBY, N. C., Aug. 28.—(INS) —Collapse of the
First National Bank building here during a rush business
hour this morning claimed an undertermined number of
dead and injured.

At 12:45 this afternoon, when excavation operations
had been under way only three hours, a check-up revealed
six known dead, 15 known injured, and a number of persons
missing.

Police estimated the death toll would mount steadily
ag rescue crews dug deeper into the debris in search of
bodies.

No accurate check-up could be made of the missing
persons, but 1b was known that a dozen or more had not
been accounted for.

Early this afternoon the crews had searched only the
edges of the huge pile of debris, and it was feared many
more bodies would be found toward the center

The known dead:

Miss Ora Ethridge, secretary to the bank president.

Guy, Green, bank clerk.

Alex Boyd, bank clerk.

Deb Blanton, a farmer who was in the bank.

Carl Blanton, his son.

Aw nnidentifiead man
 It was feared that a crew of seven-
teen negroes who were working In the
center of the building were ail Filled
The rescue crews had not heen able
TO get to the place where the negroes
were working at an early hour this
afternoon

It was known that fifteen persons
were injured, several} of whom were
expected to die They were all tak-
en to a hospital here as they were
dragged from the fallen structure

Excavation work at a nearby bulld~
ing was generally assigned as the
cause of the collapse of the bank
puilding It was known that several
persons were in a grocery store and a
tailor's shop which were a part of
the building, but it was expected to
be nours before that part of the
Structure could be searched thorough-
jy

The collapse occurred during a
Tush hour on this little town's main
thoroughfare, and it was beheved
that several persons in the street be-
low were trapped under the ze-
ecunding deluge of stone and timber

The entire fire and police forces
of Shelby, referred to as ‘the sum-
mer capital of North Carolina," were
taaed to the fullest in controlling
the crowds which gathered around
the scene of disaster

Many volunteers aided in the res~
eve onerstions _
 