Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, General; The United Nations, Volume I

Department of State Atomic Energy Files

Notes on Conversation Between the British Prime Minister (Attlee) and the South African Prime Minister (Smuts)¹

undated

top secret

A pilot leaching plant will be in operation by the end of this year at one of the few gold mines on the Far Eastern Rand (Blyvooruitzicht). Field Marshal Smuts thought that it would be possible, during the course of next year, to determine the best method of extraction on a commercial scale and the likely order of capital and operating costs involved.

2. Field Marshal Smuts fully appreciated the importance of getting ahead with production as quickly as possible and expressed the view that once the problems of extraction had been solved, there would be substantial quantities of material available both for the U.K. and the U.S. He made clear that the South African Government would retain control of the disposal of uranium and that he was thinking in terms of supply only to the U.S. and the U.K.

3. The mining companies were said by Field Marshal Smuts to be co-operating fully, as it was in their interest to do, in view of the economies to be obtained from the simultaneous extraction of gold and uranium. They were anxious that the process finally chosen for uranium extraction should not interfere with the extraction of gold.

4. Arrangements for the provision of capital could not be settled yet, but the mining companies had been told that, if necessary, the South African Government would be prepared to put up capital.

5. Field Marshal Smuts said that he would continue to welcome suggestions and advice from the U.K. and the U.S. on extraction and other technical problems.

6. There was no doubt that Field Marshal Smuts was ready to cooperate with the U.K. and with the U.S. and was fully aware of the importance of the whole subject. He had expressed the view that there would be no difficulty in reaching agreement with the U.K. and the U.S. on price and supply arrangements next year when estimates about quantities and cost of production would be available.

1. This document was transmitted by Donald D. Maclean of the British Embassy to Carroll L. Wilson, Chairman of the Combined Development Trust, on December 12 with the information that the conversation recorded occurred “two weeks ago.” (Department of State Atomic Energy Files)