Office of the Historian

501.A Summaries/7–2149: Telegram

The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Secretary of State

secret
New York, July 21, 1949—11:16 p. m.

851. Daily Classified Summary No. 145. [Here follows a list of highlights of the telegram.]

Atomic Energy

Reporting receipt of instructions to vote for the AEC impasse resolution which Osborn introduced in the Commission July 20,1 McNaughton (Canada) said his Government considered the retention of a united front to be the most important factor. Shone (UK) said his instructions were to the same effect. De Rose (France) informed USUN he had transmitted the text of the resolution to his Government and had recommended acceptance for the same reasons.

These Canadian, UK and French Representatives, along with Wei (China), discussed with USUN in detail the Statement of Principles to be used in Six-Power Consultations (US/AEC/3—) [US/AEC/33], considering a number of proposed amendments submitted by USUN and other delegations. Osborn pointed out the important thing was to get the USSR in the Six-Power Consultations to agree to fundamental principles.

In reference to a “new approach,” McNaughton said his Government favored a new effort to make the USSR understand, but he did not wish to lay too much emphasis on a new approach nor to give the [Page 102] impression to the Canadian public that an attempt was being made to dispense with all the work the AEC had accomplished. Shone reported he was still awaiting instructions from his Government concerning the section on ownership in the Statement of Principles (US/AEC/36 and /38).2

At a July 21 meeting of Canadian, Chinese, French and UK Representatives with USUN,3 agreement was reached on the text of a letter to the Acting SyG from the Chinese Delegation4 concerning Six-Power Consultations. Wei said his delegation felt the Chinese Delegation could properly communicate with the Acting SyG on this since the Chinese Representative was Chairman of the AEC this month. It was decided to ask in the letter that the meetings be closed, that the Acting SyG be requested to arrange for a staff to provide interpretation and records and that the agenda be the relevant part of the GA Resolution of last Nov. 4. It was also agreed that the Chinese would transmit copies of the letter to the delegations of the other five AEC sponsoring powers.

[Here follows discussion of other subjects.]

  1. For the text of the resolution introduced by the United States at the 23rd Meeting of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, July 20, see p. 96. For the record of that meeting, see AEC, 4th yr., No. 7. The text of the statement in which Osborn presented the resolution also appears in Documents on Disarmament, 1945–1959, vol. i, p. 194.↩
  2. For memoranda of conversation US/AEC/36 (July 6) and US/AEC/38 (July 13), see pp. 80 and 93.↩
  3. The memorandum of this conversation, US/AEC/42, July 21, is not printed.↩
  4. The letter, transmitted July 22, is not printed.↩