SPA Files
The Director of the Office of Special Political Affairs (Hiss) to the Under Secretary of State (Acheson)
Suggested Procedure for Initial Meetings of the Atomic Energy Commission
We know that the United Nations Secretariat has for some weeks been anxious to speed up the formation of the Atomic Energy Commission. Official letters asking the member governments to name representatives to the Commission were sent out weeks ago and a follow-up letter was sent more recently. Last Friday the Secretariat inquired of us whether May 20 would be a convenient date for the initial meeting of the Commission. We replied that it would not be convenient and that we would let them know soon what our views were on this subject. Today the Secretariat has again raised the subject, this time asking whether May 27 would be convenient and we have replied that we would give them our views tomorrow.
The Secretariat’s desire for speed in this matter is understandable. More than three months have passed since the General Assembly on January 24 adopted a resolution establishing the Commission. In urging the Assembly to approve the resolution, Secretary Byrnes on January 24 stated: “I hope that the Commission will promptly set to work on its tasks.” There has been great public interest in the prompt establishment of the Commission and our own press has in recent weeks been particularly insistent that no further time be lost in calling the Commission together.
Our own responsibility is especially acute. The Secretariat has told us that most of the other governments concerned had been agreeable to the May 20 date. Already we have had evidence that other countries are suggesting to the press that the delay thus far has been caused by the United States. This was an inaccurate charge up until last Friday. However it is clear that unless we agree to a prompt meeting of the Commission we will be accused of being responsible for current delays. This would be particularly undesirable in view of our pre-dominant [Page 788] role in the atomic energy field and the fact that the whole idea of and the creation of the Commission was on our initiative.
For the foregoing reasons it is recommended that we should inform the Secretariat that we see no objection to an organizing meeting of the Commission being held on May 27 and succeeding days until the committee organization and work program have been agreed upon. It is further recommended that at the initial meeting Mr. Baruch should make a statement as to the interest of the United States in this whole field and the role which the United States has played to date. It is especially recommended that Mr. Baruch also present to the Commission for comment by the other members of the Commission the report on the International Control of Atomic Energy by the Secretary’s committee. It is suggested that Mr. Baruch say that he is presenting it simply as a basis for discussion and that the United States will welcome not only the comments of the other members of the Commission but similar proposals for discussion being submitted on their part.
If the foregoing recommendations are approved it is anticipated that after several days of determining the organization and procedure of the Commission the Commission would wish to adjourn until the other members had had an opportunity to consider the report of the Secretary’s committee and to prepare their comments or proposals of their own. The organization details which will have to be settled relate to the determination of the chairmanship (whether a single chairman for a specified period of time or a rotation of the chairmanship), staff arrangements, methods of procedure, place of meetings, schedule of work, et cetera. It is to be assumed that except for the initial meeting when Mr. Baruch made his statement and opportunity was afforded for other members to make opening statements, these organizational meetings would be private.
Our information is that there is a very excellent prospect that the War Department would be entirely agreeable to the submission of the report of the Secretary’s committee as a basis for discussion. This would be directly in line with the attitude which this Government has consistently taken toward the Commission and its functions. It has been our position that the object of the Commission is to permit a joint study of the whole subject without fixed positions being taken in advance. It would not be consistent with this approach for us to do more than submit proposals as a basis for discussion, to invite the submission of similar proposals by other members of the Commission and to welcome orderly discussion of such proposals by the Commission. To limit the initial meetings to purely organizing aspects with no prospect of early discussion of matters of substance would almost [Page 789] certainly result in adverse public comment in view of the delay which has already occurred since the Commission was created and in view of the continuing public interest in the subject of atomic energy which will result from the Bikini tests.40 For the reasons indicated above it could be anticipated that most of the adverse comment would be directed primarily at this Government.