Office of the Historian

501.BC/1–3047

Memorandum by the Secretary of State to the Under Secretary of State (Acheson)1

secret
[Washington,] January 30, 1947.

The President this morning orally approved the draft of the resolution agreed to yesterday by the State, War and Navy Committee for Senator Austin’s presentation to the Security Council.2 He also agreed to the Committee’s view that a special statement should be drafted for Mr. Austin to voice when he submits the resolution and also that the Secretary of State in Washington should make a statement emphasizing the fact that the United States had had one tragic experience in unilateral disarmament and under no circumstances could commit itself to a repetition of that experience. Therefore, we would require ample practical security arrangements. Also, the President agreed with the Committee’s recommendation that Senator Austin’s statement should include the fact that we did not propose completing any disarmament procedure until the question of the treaties had been formally settled.

The President further stated that, when I made my statement as Secretary of State, he would at his press conference in answer to a possible question merely state that I had enunciated the policy of his government which would be strictly followed in the matter. He thoroughly agreed with the Committee’s feeling that we must follow up carefully in months to come our stand in this matter so that the public would not be diverted from the stand that the United States must have definite concrete assurances as a basis for any agreement on disarmament.

G. C. Marshall
[Page 388]
[Annex]

Draft Resolution3

January 28, 1947.

The Security Council, in consideration of the General Assembly Resolution of December 14, 1946, on the “Principles governing the Regulation and Reduction of Armaments”, resolves:

1.
To establish a Commission the function of which shall be to make recommendations to the Security Council regarding the practical measures, including the provision of effective safeguards, for the general regulation and reduction of armaments and armed forces, except as regards those matters which fall within the competence of the Atomic Energy Commission as determined by the General Assembly Resolutions of January 24, 1946 and December 14, 1946.
2.
To create a committee of the Security Council consisting of a representative of each member of the Council which shall make recommendations to the Security Council regarding the composition of the proposed commission and its terms of reference, including its relations with the Security Council, the Military Staff Committee, and the Atomic Energy Commission.
3.
To begin at its next meeting consideration of the First Report of the Atomic Energy Commission dated December 31, 1946, with particular reference to the Recommendations contained in Part III thereof.

  1. This memorandum was transmitted to the United States Representative at the United Nations in telegram 31 to New York, January 31 (501.BC/1–3147).↩
  2. Reference is to the meeting of the Secretaries of the State, War, and Navy Departments, January 29, the minutes of which are printed supra. The Secretary of State informed the Secretaries of War and Navy by letter on January 31 of the President’s approval of the draft resolution (500.A/1–3147).↩

  3. This draft resolution was modified before being introduced as a result of correspondence between the United States Delegation at the United Nations and the Department of State. In telegram 97 from New York, February 3, Senator Austin suggested the following changes: “In paragraph 1 after ‘to establish a commission’ insert ‘composed of the members of the Security Council.’ In numbered paragraph 2 after expression ‘make recommendations to the Security Council regarding’ delete ‘the composition of the proposed commission and’, substitute word ‘the’ for ‘its’ immediately following.” Senator Austin was informed of the Department’s approval by telephone. (501.BC/2–347)

    For the text of the draft resolution as actually introduced at the 98th Meeting of the Security Council, February 4, see SC, 2nd yr., No. 9, p. 151.

    ↩