Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, European Security and the German Question, Volume III, Part 2

740.5/10–551: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom ¹

secret

Washington, October 5, 1951—2:09 p. m.

1844. Re Deptel 1748 to London Sep 29 rptd Paris 1887² fol is summary tentative US proposal re clarification and definition prohibitions provided para 7–a (ii) Fon Mins instr to HICOM agreed Sept 13.³ Request Embs transmit US proposal to Brit and Fr Fon Offs soonest to facilitate rapid progress discussions beginning Oct 10. Proposal represents our present thinking but we may wish make changes in it at talks. Some matters not fully covered. Note scientific research is covered in each category in such manner that no separate treatment required.

Pls tell Fon Offs that in approaching task assigned by Fon Mins US found it most convenient to attempt to set down what Gers shld undertake not to do rather than simply to draft technical definitions of weapons. We think Br and Fr will agree that this is best approach as our work proceeds but the form of our proposals results from above practical considerations.

1. Atomic Weapons.

Fed Rep shld agree not to engage in or permit, (except as may be agreed with three Allied Powers acting in interest of NATO):

(a) research specifically related to, development, production or possession of, atomic weapons, incl fission, fusion and radiological weapons;

(b) production of fissionable materials in quantities (500 grams per year) significant for production of such weapons;

(c) research specifically related to, or development, construction or possession of, nuclear reactors or other instruments or installations capable of producing such weapons, or fissionable materials in quantities (500 grams per year) significant for production of such weapons;

(d) production or acquisition of normal uranium or its compounds in quantities greater than ten metric tons of contained uranium oxide per year.

2. Biological Weapons.

Fed Rep shld agree not to engage in or permit, (subject exception noted under 1):

(a) production, possession or export of pathogenic organisms or their toxic products of such nature and in such concentration as to allow them to be used as biological weapons;

(b) production, possession, or export of specialized productive equipment or specialized control, transport, and dissemination devices intended for development, production, control, transport, or dissemination of foregoing organisms, products, or weapons, or having as principal purpose development, production, control, transport, or dissemination of foregoing organisms, etc;

(c) research and development directed towards mfr or production of foregoing organisms, etc., where such research involves production of engineered prototypes of equipment, devices, or weapons, or production of organisms or products on scale larger than required for normal laboratory experimentation purposes; or where such research involves design of semiworks or pilot-plant.

3. Chemical Weapons.

Fed Rep undertaking shld cover (subject exception noted under 1):

(a) production, possession, or export of toxic chemicals (to be further defined) intended for or having as principal purpose employment as chemical weapons;

(b) production, possession, or export of specialized productive equipment or dissemination devices intended for or having as principal purpose development, production, or dissemination of foregoing chemicals;

(c) production, possession, or export of specialized major components intended for or having no recognized purpose other than production of or incorporation in foregoing chemicals, equipment, or devices;

(d) research and development directed towards production of foregoing chemicals, etc., where such research involves production of engineered prototypes of equipment, devices, or components or production of chemicals or components on pilot-plant or semi-works scale.

4. Aircraft.

Fed Rep undertaking shld cover (subj exception noted under 1) production all aircraft with or designed for incorporation of means of propulsion, except models. Shld not cover gliders, model aircraft, kites, or balloons without means of propulsion. Undertaking shld also cover (a) production of specialized major components intended for or having as principal use incorporation in prohibited aircraft; (b) production of specialized productive equipment intended for or having as principal use development or production of prohibited components; (c) research directed toward production foregoing articles or equipment where such research involves production of engineered prototypes.

Prohibited specialized major components shld be limited to minimum number of major components and sub-assemblies necessary to make effective prohibition on aircraft production.

5. Guided Missiles.

Fed Rep undertaking shld cover: (subj exception noted under 1):

(a) production or export of guided missiles (to be further defined);

(b) production, possession, or export of specialized productive equipment intended for or having no recognized purpose other than development or production guided missiles;

(c) production or export of specialized major components intended for or having no recognized purpose other than production of or incorporation in foregoing articles;

(d) research and development directed towards production of foregoing articles where such research involves production of engineered prototypes or production on pilot-plan or semi-works scale.

6. Naval Vessels.

Types of naval vessels which shld be prohibited (production, possession, or export subj exception noted under 1) are fol:

(a) submarines;

(b) aircraft carriers and other vessels, intended or equipped for or capable of launching or receiving aircraft;

(c) other vessels normally intended for combat larger than destroyer or with guns larger than five inches.

There shld be provisions re specialized components and research similar to those re specialized components of aircraft and guided missiles, but covering possession or export as well as production.

There need be no provision re specialized productive equipment since there is no clearly specialized productive equipment of any great importance.

7. Heavy Military Equipment.

This category shld be defined extremely narrowly both qualitatively and as to number of items covered.

Webb

1. Sent for action also to Paris and repeated to Frankfurt.
2. Not printed; it reported on various arrangements for the talks on a German financial contribution to Western defense and on the location for the security controls talks. (740.5/9–2951)
3. For the text of the Foreign Ministers instructions, see WFM T–5a, p. 1197 and footnotes thereto.