740.0011 Moscow/60

The British Embassy to the Department of State

Aide-Mémoire

Mr. Eden suggests that it might be useful if during the Moscow meeting the British and United States representatives should mention the desirability of concluding a tripartite agreement between the United Kingdom, United States and U.S.S.R. for the exchange of [Page 545] technical information on warlike inventions. It is not proposed that it should be put on the agenda.

The Combined Chiefs of Staff have already had some discussion on this following a memorandum which the Prime Minister gave to the President.49

Mr. Eden suggests that his approach might be that community of development between the British and the Americans in many cases has suggested to him that it is inappropriate that Great Britain and the U. S. S. R. should be linked by a bilateral agreement and that there should be no link between the United States and the U. S. S. E. Mr. Eden would continue that on sounding the United States Government he had found that they felt that they had technical information which they would like to give the U. S. S. E. The natural solution seems therefore to be a tripartite agreement.

Mr. Eden might go on to say that if it is generally agreed that a tripartite agreement was desirable in principle, details could be discussed at leisure later. If, however, any general points at once occurred to Mr. Hull or the Soviet Government it might be agreed to record them as guidance for drafting the agreement later.

If the State Department agree that time would be saved by trying to get an agreement in principle at the Conference, Mr. Eden will raise the matter on the above lines. He will not do so if the United States Government feel that exploration by the Combined Chiefs of Staff should go further first.

  1. Not found in Department files. For previous correspondence on this subject, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. iii, pp. 738740 and 753754.