840.70/10–944: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 9—8:48 p.m.]
8534. For Berle from Hooker, Allison and Moats. As a result of yesterday’s and today’s meetings with Soviet EITO Delegation, the position now is as follows:
The discussion has revolved chiefly around Article VII, sections 2 and 6, and the Soviets have made clear their opposition to the powers provided for in these sections.
In general the British have indicated a willingness to accept the view that the organization’s functions should be primarily coordinating and consultative with the reservation that in certain particulars they still think that some administrative and control functions may be required. They have agreed to substitute for the powers contained in Article VII, sections 2 and 6, the function of consulting and making recommendations with respect to the subject matter of the sections, provided there is some general obligation on the part of the member governments to cooperate fully. The Soviets have indicated general agreement provided there is no such specific obligation as to permit the imposition of specific sanctions. They believe enforcement of the recommendations must depend upon persuasion, publicity and the weight of the opinion of the cooperating members as against the non-cooperating member, including its possible expression in a failure of the organization to interest itself in the problems of a non-cooperating member.
We believe that the organization can function effectively only with the continuing consent and cooperation of its members and that the British concessions to the Soviet views are therefore realistic. It appears that the Soviets have read greater operating and administrative powers into the draft agreement than were intended and that after the full explanations that have been made they may be persuaded to accept the imposition of some obligations on the members. However, these obligations must be expressed, it is believed, in such [Page 820] general terms as to preclude specific sanctions. The Soviets may also accept some limited administrative and control functions provided they are carefully circumscribed. [Hooker, Allison, and Moats.]