501.BC/11–2346: Telegram
Senator Austin to the Acting Secretary of State
urgent
[Received 1:30 p.m.]
843. Re troop question, delegation decided November 23 on following course:
- 1.
- Confirmed decision to support Bevin motion to merge items 4 and 5 and consider them simultaneously;3 (on understanding that this would not involve making issuance of information on troops subject to delays involved in question of disarmament);
- 2.
- Will immediately request views of Secretary of State as to whether
Senator Connally should in Committee I Monday4 make statement that U.S.
will by December 1 issue information as of latest practicable date
covering:
- (a)
- Total number of US uniformed personnel on active service wherever stationed (including personnel of armed forces and military organizations);
- (b)
- Number of such personnel in active service within US territory;
- (c)
- Number of such personnel on territory of each other country in which such personnel are presently maintained;
- 3.
- That over week-end experts be authorized to discuss with experts
of other delegations possibility of securing resolution along lines
of following US revised draft:
“The General Assembly, in order that the United Nations may have available information relating to armed forces necessary to assist the Security Council in giving effect to article 43 of the Charter, and relating to the general reduction of armaments,
- a.
- Recommends that each member of the United Nations
should submit the following information to the
Secretary-General and to the Security Council:
[Page 1043]
- 1.
- The total number of its uniformed personnel on active service wherever stationed, including personnel of the armed forces and in military type organizations;
- 2.
- The number of such personnel in active service within its own territories;
- 3.
- The number of such personnel on the territory of each other country in which such personnel are presently maintained;
- b.
- Recommends that the requested information be descriptive of the situation existing on November 1, 1946 and that such information be supplied to the Secretary-General within thirty days after the adoption of this resolution; and
- c.
- Instructs the SYG after the expiration of thirty days after the adoption of this resolution to publish promptly all information received and to furnish copies to the Security Council and to all members of the United Nations.”5
USdel agreed informally yesterday to drop limitation contained in draft previously cleared with War and Navy Dept’s, that troops only in excess of 100 in each particular country need be reported.