Concurrent Resolution of Congress1
Reaffirming Friendship of the American People for All Peoples of the World, Including the Peoples of the Soviet Union
Whereas the goal of the American people is now, and ever has been, a just and lasting peace; and
Whereas the deepest wish of our Nation is to join with all other nations in preserving the dignity of man, and in observing those moral principles which alone lend meaning to his existence; and
[Page 1608]Whereas, in proof of this, the United States has offered to share all that is good in atomic energy, asking in return only safeguards against the evil in the atom; and
Whereas the Congress reaffirms its policy as expressed in law “to continue to exert maximum efforts to obtain agreements to provide the United Nations with armed forces as contemplated in the Charter and agreements to achieve universal control of weapons of mass destruction and universal regulation and reduction of armaments, including armed forces, under adequate safeguards to protect complying against violation and evasion”; and
Whereas this Nation has likewise given of its substance and resources to help those peoples ravaged by war and poverty; and
Whereas terrible danger to all free peoples compels the United States to undertake a vast program of armaments expenditures; and
Whereas we rearm only with reluctance and would prefer to devote our energies to peaceful pursuits: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress of the United States reaffirms the historic and abiding friendship of the American people for all other peoples, and declares—
That the American people deeply regret the artificial barriers which separate them from the peoples of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and which keep the Soviet peoples from learning of the desire of the American people to live in friendship with all other peoples, and to work with them in advancing the ideal of human brotherhood; and
That the American people believe the Soviet Government could advance the cause of peace immeasurably by removing those artificial barriers, thus permitting the free exchange of information between our peoples; and
That the American people and their Government desire neither war with the Soviet Union nor the terrible consequences of such a war; and
That, although they are firmly determined to defend their freedom and security, the American people welcome all honorable efforts to resolve the differences standing between the United States Government and the Soviet Government and invite the peoples of the Soviet Union to cooperate in a spirit of friendship in this endeavor; and
That the Congress request the President of the United States to call upon the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to acquaint the peoples of the Soviet Union with the contents of this resolution.
- This resolution, known as the McMahon–Ribicoff Resolution after its chief Senate and House of Representatives sponsors, was endorsed in a slightly different, earlier version by the Secretary of State in his letter to Senator Connally, Document 769. The Senate resolution (S. Con. Res. 11) was introduced in the Senate on February 8 by Senator McMahon and 22 other Senators of both major parties, was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 20, and was adopted by the Senate on May 4. For the original text of that resolution, see Department of State Bulletin, April 2, 1951, p. 557. A similar but not identical House resolution (H. Con. Res. 57) was introduced in the House of Representatives on February 8 by Congressman Ribicoff and eight other Congressmen of both major parties, and was adopted by the House of Representatives on June 4. A compromise resolution developed by a Senate–House Conference Committee, the text printed here, was adopted by the Senate on June 18 and by the House on June 26 by a vote of 351 to 6. The text printed here is that appearing in House of Representatives Report No. 632, the House report on the Conference Committee on S. Con. Res. 11. It was the text submitted to President Truman by Secretary Acheson on July 5 (see infra) and the text that accompanied President Truman’s communication to Shvernik, Document 788.↩