Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, National Security Affairs, Volume II, Part 2

396.1 GE/4–2854: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Department of State¹

top secret
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Geneva, April 28, 1954—11 p.m.

Dulte 19. Eyes only Acting Secretary for President and eyes only Wilson and Strauss from Secretary. The memorandum which Molotov handed me yesterday in answer to our memorandum of March 19² takes position that Soviet will not consider President’s proposal for peaceful use of atomic energy until there is first agreement between Soviet Union and United States renouncing the use of atomic weapons, and the memorandum concludes that in regard to the questions mentioned in United States memorandum of March 19, “the insufficiencies and one-sidedness of which is obvious”, they might be made the subject of additional studies upon reaching agreement on fundamental questions.

I have advised Eden and Bidault in general terms, and Eden has asked for copy of Soviet memorandum.

The Soviet memorandum of April 27 is expressed to serve propaganda ends. Consideration should be given as a matter of urgency to handling of publicity. I shall probably be seeing Molotov before I leave, and should probably arrange with him for some simultaneous communiqué.

Unofficial translation full text being transmitted Dulte 18.³

Dulles

1. The Geneva Conference on Korea and Indochina was held from Apr. 26 to July 21. Secretary Dulles attended the opening sessions, returning to Washington on May 4. The principal documentation on the conference is presented in volume xvi.
2. For text of the U.S. memorandum, see p. 1372.
3. Telegram Dulte 18 from Geneva, Apr. 28, is not printed. (600.0012/4–2854) For text of the Soviet memorandum of Apr. 27, see Department of State Bulletin, Oct. 4, 1954, pp. 482–484.