Arms Test Ban Made Permanent

WASHINGTON President Clinton today permanently banned all U.S.nuclear weapons tests, calling the decision a "historic milestone" inhis drive for a treaty to end all testing throughout the world.

Clinton said that only in the event of "supreme nationalinterest," and in consultation with Congress, would he permit evensmall-scale underground blasts.

He said U.S. negotiators in Geneva would insist on a completeban. Some of his advisers had urged otherwise, saying tests wereessential to ensure that the U.S. nuclear stockpile is up to date.

Clinton said that a ban would help pull back from "the nuclearprecipice" and that his decision would spur adoption of the …