501.BC/5–1646: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Stettinius) to the Acting Secretary of State
urgent
[Received May 16—2:55 p.m.]
188. Personal. The Soviet Delegation on the Military Staff Committee still has not introduced their paper on the general principles applicable to the proposed military agreements. Our military representatives have tried repeatedly to obtain further information as to the date when the Russian paper will be forthcoming, but have been unable to obtain either information or any commitment. The paper was promised by the Russians for April 3.
Our best estimate on the information available is that this matter is out of the hands of the representatives here and that the matter is being held up in Moscow, on the political level. Gromyko’s comments and attitude when I broached the subject to him a few weeks ago do not encourage hope that any progress is to be made through that channel. The Military Staff Committee cannot proceed on this subject until the Russian paper has been submitted. Furthermore, this subject is basic to the greater part of the Military Staff Committee’s substantive work.
I, therefore, recommend that the Department ask Bedell Smith42 in Moscow to request information from the Foreign Office regarding the present status of this matter and, if possible, to get them to speed action on it. Ambassador Smith might well state that the work of the Military Staff Committee is being held up due to failure of the Russians to submit their paper; that the other four powers have all submitted theirs; that all these papers are without prejudice and without any commitment by the governments involved; that the matter is being dealt with by a subcommittee of the Military Staff Committee; and that there will be no final commitment until the whole question is reviewed and settled by the Security Council itself.
- Walter Bedell Smith, Ambassador in the Soviet Union.↩