811.2423/11–2945
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
Lord Halifax handed the Secretary an Aide-Mémoire48 on Atomic Energy and the procedure for bringing the proposal for the Commission before the General Assembly of the UNO.
The Secretary said this is one of the matters he would like to talk with Bevin about. The Secretary said he is convinced it would be wise to advise Molotov of what they are considering, otherwise when the matter is presented to the UNO the Russians may not agree to it. The Secretary showed to Lord Halifax a copy of a telegram he had sent to London this morning for Bevin suggesting that the matter be considered at next meeting of the Foreign Secretaries.
The Ambassador pointed out that in the Aide-Mémoire Bevin set out three plans for putting the matter before the Assembly. He said his Government wishes to make every effort to secure the cooperation of the Soviet Government and inquired whether the Secretary had received any reaction from Moscow to the message transmitting the statement of Nov. 15.
The Secretary replied that he had not.
The Ambassador wondered whether the Secretary would consider inquiring of Harriman whether the Soviet Government would cooperate in putting the proposal before the UNO, to which the Secretary replied that if the three were to meet, Molotov could be informed so that he would be prepared to discuss it.
The Secretary said that if Mr. Bevin did not wish to go to such a meeting, we would have to change our thinking.
The Ambassador then read to the Secretary a message on this matter from Bevin49 suggesting that the five Foreign Ministers meet in London while the UNO Assembly is in session.
The Secretary said he had thought of that, but by going to Moscow (1) he had hoped to have an opportunity to obtain Stalin’s views, and (2) it is important to have an opportunity to discuss certain matters before the meeting of the General Assembly in January. The Secretary said he felt the atomic energy matter should be discussed with the Russians before it is presented to UNO, or it will have little chance of getting their approval.
[Page 591]The Secretary mentioned that it might be possible to have the Foreign Secretaries meet in London just prior to the General Assembly meeting for informal discussions. The Secretary pointed out, regarding a Moscow meeting, that this would be to carry out an agreement; that the Foreign Secretaries had met in San Francisco in April, at Potsdam in July, London in September, and that they would merely be meeting informally to consider whatever matters were open for negotiation and adjustment, in accordance with the agreement that they would meet every three or four months.
Lord Halifax pointed out that it would be risky to meet without France and China without assurance of coming out with agreement, and that if the meeting were held in London prior to UNO and [any?] sting which might result from failure to reach agreement would be lost in the interest in UNO.
The Secretary stated there was likely to be an advantage in the attitude of Molotov toward a meeting in Moscow—that he would be more pliable as a host and might consider it important that the other two Secretaries would take the trouble to come to Moscow. Lord Halifax thought it would be well to obtain the views of Clark Kerr and Harriman on this, but was inclined to agree with the Secretary.
The Secretary inquired what would be the effect of not going to Moscow after Molotov has agreed, to which Lord Halifax replied “You’ve got us in a bit of a hole.” The Secretary stated he could not have been so presumptuous as to invite himself and his friends too to go to Moscow, and that it would not have looked good to the Soviets for the U.S. and British to jointly propose such a meeting. He said he had informed Bevin of his proposal to Molotov just the day after he telegraphed Moscow, before he had received Molotov’s reply.
The Secretary said he would consider Bevin’s message.