Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, National Security Affairs; Foreign Economic Policy, Volume I

IO Files: US/A/3033

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Ward P. Allen,¹ Adviser, United States Delegation to the General Assembly

confidential

[New York,] December 6, 1950.

Subject: GA Action re Merger of CCA and AEC

Participants:	Sir Keith Officer, Australian Delegation
	Mr. K. C. O. Shann,2 Australian Delegation
	M. Francis Lacoste, French Delegation
	Mr. Peter Hope, United Kingdom Delegation
	Mr. Frank Nash, United States Delegation
	Mr. Ward P. Allen, United States Delegation

We advised Sir Keith Officer that the US finds satisfactory the draft of resolution, based on the Australian draft, previously discussed under which the GA would establish a Committee to consider and report to the next session on coordination of the work of the AEC and CCA and on the advisability of merging their functions.³ Sir Keith had recommended this favorably to his Government and, although he had not received definite word, proceeded on the assumption that he would be authorized to submit the resolution as principal sponsor in connection with plenary consideration of the atomic energy item.

After discussion, it was tentatively agreed that the Committee to be set up might be composed of the eleven members of the SC (as of January 1, 1951) plus Canada as a member of the AEC and Australia as prime mover of the resolution. It was also agreed that the sponsors of the resolution should be sought from among the same group. Sir Keith plans to discuss the matter with the Canadians, we to continue preliminary discussions with the UK and with France. Depending on Australian instructions and definite reactions from UK and France, the others of the group (except USSR and China) can then be approached.

We agreed that the time was out of joint for any more definitive action by this Assembly and that this modest proposal, if presented, would be done without fireworks or fanfare.

M. Lacoste, in response to our questions as to whether this GA should take any action on the President’s suggestion, viewed with sympathy the idea of some resolution along the lines of the Australian proposal. He recognized that some such action would be a good counter to the possible introduction by the USSR or some other delegation of an unacceptable proposal based on the President’s suggestion. He stated that he will discuss the matter within his Delegation, seek instructions from the Foreign Office and advise us by the end of the week.

Mr. Hope seemed less unwilling to have the GA take action along the lines of the Australian proposal than he had previously indicated to Mr. Raynor and gave the impression that the UK would not be seriously averse to such action provided it is not presented as a great forward step, or as presaging abandonment of the plans and work done to date. He has discussed the matter with Messrs. Coulson and Laskey of his Delegation who will discuss it further with us.

1. Special Assistant on United Nations Affairs, Office of European Regional Affairs, Department of State.
2. First Secretary, Permanent Australian Delegation to the United Nations; Adviser, Australian Delegation to the General Assembly.
3. For the text of the resolution as submitted to the General Assembly on December 12 and approved the following day, see p. 124.