IO Files: US/A/AC.31/202
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. John M. Cabot, Adviser, United States Delegation to the General Assembly
I asked M. de Rose what his impressions were of the Indian resolution. M. de Rose said that the resolution was not as bad in itself as the speech which had been made in support of it. He said, if he understood the Indian intention correctly, they proposed that certain principles on which the great powers were agreed would be embodied in an international agreement. This would mean, in effect, that we would have prohibition of atomic weapons without any control. It was bad enough to have to face atomic war with both sides having atomic weapons; it would be much worse to face it if only the other side had such weapons.
M. de Rose thought that our attitude should be determined in part by the Russian attitude. If they opposed it, we also could oppose it on the grounds that it was obviously worthless without Russian agreement. If, on the other hand, the Russians accepted it then we would have to light it on its merits. He declined to be drawn out as to what he thought would happen.