800.796/716
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
The Soviet Ambassador47a came in to see me at my request. I said that I wished to give him, for his information, the present state of exchanges regarding exploratory conversations on aviation.
I said that late last year the British Government had proposed bilateral conversations between them and ourselves. At the same time the Canadians had indicated that they, too, wished to be heard in the matter.
In due time we had answered the British, saying that we should be glad to chat with them but that we likewise wished the Canadians to join. We also suggested that we should be glad to have representatives of the Soviet Union present if the Soviet Government were interested therein; and that, if there were no objections, we proposed to invite the Chinese. I said that, contrary to press reports, this was at the initiative of the United States, and of the Department, specifically myself, though this was merely because it was the Department’s policy to bring the Soviet Union into any matter which related to United Nations activity. I said that we had made it clear that we hoped the result of the proposed exploratory conversations would be the holding of a United Nations aviation conference later in the year. I said that we thereupon had cabled the Soviet Government under date of February 15.
The Soviet Ambassador said that he was familiar with the exchanges between Mr. Harriman and Mr. Molotov.
I said thereafter the British Government had assented to the suggestion of exploratory conversations between us, the British, the Chinese if they care to join, and Canada, but had asked that in that case the other British Dominions should be present, namely, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. We had responded that, while we were glad to do that, if the Australians, South Africans, and New Zealanders were present, there was no legitimate argument why other countries, including South American countries, as well as the Netherlands, the French National Committee, and others, should not be present, since they had equal interest.
In consequence, we had proposed a series of bilateral conversations commencing with the British, the Soviet Union, the Chinese, and the Canadians, to be followed right up by conversations with the necessary South American countries and the necessary European countries, all preparatory to a United Nations conference to be held later in the year. [Page 404] This proposal was presently outstanding with the British Government, and we had not yet received a reply.
The Soviet Ambassador asked whether we had informed the Canadians of this, and whether they had accepted; and I told him they had been informed and had agreed. He then asked whether we had informed the Chinese. I said we had not but expected to do so on learning that there was no objection, and we assumed that there would be none.
I said that in view of the fact that there had been certain stories published in this regard, I thought it might be well for him to be fully informed on the state of the record.
The Ambassador asked if I had any idea of the possible date of a United Nations conference. I told him that I did not see how we could know that until the exploratory conversations had gone forward; we had rather hoped that it might be this summer.
The Ambassador thanked me for the information and said that it might be necessary for them to consider what men they would send. He asked who would handle it on our side. I told him that we had asked Ambassador Grew48 to head up the group for the United States; he would be assisted by technicians and others. The Ambassador asked whether I expected to join, and I said that I probably would be on hand to be of whatever help I could.
I gathered that the Ambassador had likewise read the published reports and was glad to have the exact record.