Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, General; the United Nations, Volume I

SWNCC Files

The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the United States Representatives on the Military Staff Committee of the United Nations ⁹³

secret
SWNCC 219/15, Enclosure “A”

[Washington,] November 23, 1946.

U.S. Position With Respect to Furnishing Information of Allied Troops in Countries Not Ex-Enemy

1. Reference is made to your memorandum to the Joint Chiefs of Staff dated 19 November,^* concerning the position of the United States with respect to a Soviet proposal for information of Allied troops in territories not ex-enemy. The Joint Chiefs of Staff perceive no objection from the military point of view to the position approved by the Secretary of State as indicated in Annex (E) of the enclosure to your memorandum.⁹⁴

2. The Joint Chiefs of Staff understand that the U.S. Delegation will not in the discussion of troop information raise the question of safeguards in the field of armament regulation as indicated in paragraph A 6 of Annex (E) of your enclosure unless the subject of troop information is considered together with the question of armament regulation. The Joint Chiefs of Staff concur in this plan not to raise this issue except under the circumstances indicated above. In the event, however, that the subject is considered jointly with the question of armament regulation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff concur with the position indicated in paragraph A 6 of Annex (E), and with the amendment suggested by you that there be added the phrase “with appropriate measures of international verification.”

3. In general, the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider that the U.S. position regarding the importance of safeguards, including appropriate measures for international inspection (verification), would be more appropriate for consideration with the important issues of international control of atomic energy and armament regulation rather than with the lesser subject problem of providing information regarding the location of troops.

93. This memorandum was prepared by the Joint Strategic Survey Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; it was approved by the JCS on November 22 and circulated in the State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee for information on December 4. The Joint Strategic Survey Committee report submitting the present document to the Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated that a Department of State representative, Hiss, had been consulted in its preparation and perceived no objection to the guidance it provided.
94. Transmitted Enclosure “B”. [Footnote in the original.] Enclosure “B” is not printed. In that document the Military Representatives summarized the situation created by the Soviet proposal, indicated that they had consulted with the United States Delegation on the matter, and requested guidance from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
94. Annex E of Enclosure “B”, telegram 822, November 18, from New York, is printed on p. 1012.