501.BC Armaments/9–649
Memorandum by the State Member and Acting Chairman of the Executive Committee on Regulation of Armaments (Bancroft) to the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Hickerson) and the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Rusk)
Subject: Proposed U.S. Position on Conventional Armaments for the Fourth General Assembly.
Problem:
To determine the U.S. Position on conventional armaments for the Fourth General Assembly.
Discussion:
Working members of RAC have been endeavoring to draft a U.S. position on conventional armaments for the Fourth General Assembly. All agree that the U.S. should continue to support majority approved findings of CCA on Items I and II of CCA’s Plan of Work, and proposals for census and verification of conventional armaments and armed forces. With respect to one phase of the future activities of CCA there is also agreement and that is that in the absence of Soviet approval CCA should not devote further time to the census and verification proposals. However, service members of RAC take the position that in the absence of Soviet agreement to what has to date been done in CCA its activities and all substantive work on disarmament be suspended pending the resolution of Great Power differences. State Department representatives have taken the position that while Soviet obstruction tactics should be highlighted and while genuine progress towards regulation of armaments cannot be expected so long as the Soviet position is unchanged, nevertheless the US should take no initiative toward the suspension of substantive planning work on disarmament because such action would be construed as slamming the door on disarmament discussions and would shock world opinion and hand a high propaganda card to the USSR. Such action would also be contrary to Congressional policy.
The views of the representatives of the Department of State and Defense at the working level are incorporated in a single paper (Tab A1). The views of Mr. Frank C. Nash, Deputy U.S. Representative [Page 151] on the CCA, are set forth as Tab B2 and support the State Department position.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the proposed State Department conclusions as found in RAC D–36/2 be approved and that the Deputy Under Secretary (G) discuss the problem with appropriate officials of the Office of the Secretary of Defense in order to resolve differences and arrive at a final U.S. position.
Concurrences:
ARA, EUR, FE, NEA, L have concurred in Department’s position set forth in Tab A.
Attachments:
1. Draft position paper RAC D–36/2 (Tab A).
2. Letter of September 1, 1949 by Frank C. Nash (Tab B).