330.13/5–754
The Secretary of State to the Deputy United States Representative on the United Nations Disarmament Commission at London (Patterson)1
Sir: 1. The following instructions are presented for your guidance as Deputy United States Representative on the United Nations Disarmament Commission, meetings of a Subcommittee of which are to be convened at London on May 13, 1954. I shall appreciate your communicating these instructions to your Advisers.
2. Since the United States Representative on the Disarmament Commission, The Honorable Henry Cabot Lodge, does not plan to attend these Meetings of the Subcommittee of the Disarmament Commission, you will act as United States Representative at these Meetings. In the interests of expeditious exchanges of views between you and the Department of State the most feasible method of communication will be directly from you to the Department of State and from the Department to you. The Department of State will ensure, however, that all copies of communications in either [Page 1430] direction will be transmitted to the United States Mission to the United Nations.
3. The general terms of reference for these Meetings are attached as Annex A. In connection with your responsibilities as Deputy United States Representative, you should be guided by the briefing previously given by officers of the Department of State. While no position papers are attached, you should keep in mind the general position of the United States Government towards disarmament as outlined in the National Security Council Document and subordinate papers.2
4. It will be noted that basic documents in connection with these Meetings are classified. There will remain much in these documents that should not be revealed, even after the substance of the United States position has been made known at the Meeting. For this reason, these documents will retain their classification after the United States position has been made public.
5. The matter of tactics in connection with the issues of this Meeting, including the timing and emphasis which should be taken on any point, is left to your discretion within the framework of policy decisions. In this connection, it is urged that you utilize fully the experience of your Advisers. If any matters should arise which are outside the scope of these instructions and which are not consistent with our national policy in this field, you are requested to make an appropriate reservation of your position, insist that discussion be limited to the subjects within the frame of reference as you understand it to be, and communicate with the Department immediately for instructions in these matters, reporting any information which may be relevant and, where possible, recommending a course of action.
6. Since this is an official governmental conference, the views expressed by the respective representatives are likely to be considered as official views of their governments, even though advanced as tentative suggestions. Accordingly, your Advisers must act as a unit and present a solid front. The views expressed on issues before the Meeting must be those of the Government of the United States, rather than the views of individual Advisers or of organizations or groups with which they may be affiliated. Any divergent views among your Advisers should be resolved by you in private meetings in order that embarrassing differences of opinion may not possibly appear in open discussion. In the event of diverse views among [Page 1431] your Advisers, your decision shall be final and binding on the Delegation.
7. Your Advisers will constantly keep in mind their official capacities as representatives of the Government of the United States accredited to this Meeting. In such official capacity, the demeanor and statements of your Advisers are subject to close scrutiny by representatives and advisers of the other participating governments, the secretariat, the press and the public. When an opinion is solicited or given on programs or proposals not germane to this Meeting, your Advisers should be especially mindful to be cautious in their remarks and to identify them as personal. Your Advisers should also be consistently alert to the possibility that the sessions of this Meeting may be utilized by certain representatives as a forum for political attacks on the United States or as vehicles for the dissemination of propaganda. You should, therefore, impress upon all your Advisers the importance of exercising discretion and tact while on this official mission. Should any difficulties arise in the foregoing connection, you should seek the advice and assistance of the American Ambassador at London.
8. All relations with the press should, in principle, be conducted by you through your press and public relations officer, Mr. John Z. Williams. The advice of the American Ambassador at London, The Honorable Winthrop W. Aldrich, or if considered necessary, of the Department, should be sought before the issuance of any statement which might involve policies not covered by your instructions. You should caution your Advisers not to give information or opinions to the press in respect to official work of the Meeting, except as you deem otherwise advisable.
9. You are authorized to delegate to one of your Advisers from the Department of State all authority held by you in the event of your absence or inability to attend sessions of this Meeting and in any other instances in which you are unable to exercise the functions of your position.
10. You are authorized to sign joint communiqués with representatives of some or all of the other governments, reached as a result of the labors of the Meeting, provided they are within the terms of your instructions and that they take the form of resolutions or recommendations, and not the form of a treaty or other binding international agreement.
11. In the event that representatives of other governments seek to have the Meeting moved from London to another site, you should oppose such a move and urge that the work of the Subcommittee be completed at London. In the event that the majority of the representatives believe that the site of the Meeting should be [Page 1432] transferred to another city, you should seek instructions from the Department, prior to any action being taken on this matter.
12. Immediately upon your arrival at London, it is suggested that you communicate with the American Ambassador, The Honorable Winthrop W. Aldrich. He is in a position to provide advice and assistance on conference organizational, procedural and administrative matters. He will advise you with regard to the local situation and problems, especially those which may apply to the Meeting, and facilitate generally the work, social obligations and accommodations of you and your Advisers. Specifically the American Embassy may assist you in your relations with the press in the event that you deem such assistance necessary.
13. It is expected that you will keep the Department fully informed by regular cables and despatches of the progress of the deliberations, and that you will see that such documents of the meeting as you deem necessary to keep the policy officers in Washington fully informed are dispatched regularly.
14. Should you find it necessary to seek telegraphic advice from the Department in connection with the Meeting, you will, of course, utilize the facilities of the American Embassy at London as the sole channel of communication with the United States Government. While a special designator series has not been established for this Meeting, this may be done at your request. Any telegraphic communications from the Department affecting your instructions shall become a part thereof and shall supersede any position found to be in conflict.
15. At the close of the Meeting, you are requested to submit an official report covering the work of you and your Advisers and the action taken by the Subcommittee. Enclosed for your convenience is a suggested outline for the report which will serve as a convenient check-list of items to be covered.3 Its use will serve to assure a degree of uniformity with reports of other official delegations, all of which will be summarized in the Department’s annual conference volume. The official report may be supplemented by a confidential report containing any other items which, in your opinion, should be a matter of record. The reports should be addressed to the Secretary of State and marked for the attention of the Office of International Conferences which will ensure their proper distribution within the Department and the Government.
16. The United States Government appreciates your willingness to represent your country at this important Meeting. May I express the Administration’s and my own deep gratitude to you personally for the great service which you are rendering. I have every confidence [Page 1433] in the individual ability of you and of your Advisers and that your able leadership will reflect credit on the United States in this important undertaking.
Very truly yours,
Assistant Secretary
- Drafted by Thomas J. Cogan of UNA/IC on May 6. Concurrences given by Meyers and Bechhoefer for Lodge.↩
- The documents under reference cannot be further identified. Possibly the “National Security Council Document” refers to NSC 112/1, “Possibility of a New U.S. Disarmament Proposal in the Eighth General Assembly”, Sept. 1, 1953, printed on p. 1189.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Regarding the resolution of Jan. 11, 1952, see the editorial note, p. 845.↩
- Regarding the resolution of Nov. 28, 1953, see the editorial note, p. 1250.↩
- Regarding the Disarmament Commission resolution of Apr. 19, see the editorial note, p. 1386.↩