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

600.0012/9–2454: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Bohlen) to the Department of State

top secret
niact

Moscow, September 24, 1954—1 p.m.
[Received 8:36 a.m.]

430. Eyes only for Secretary. I saw Gromyko at 11 o’clock this morning. I told him with reference to my letter of yesterday evening¹ which he said he had received that my government wished to make following additional comments:

1. That, as indicated in letter, we were prepared to agree to Soviet desire to publish documents which had been exchanged between United States and Soviet Governments on atomic question;

2. That United States Government and Secretary personally desire, however, to ensure that publication of these documents would not prejudice in future the possibility of private exchanges between United States and USSR on this or other subjects and that in the future similar exchanges would be kept confidential except by mutual consent;

3. That we would appreciate being informed of details re timing, content, and manner of publication of the documents in question in order that this might be done at mutually agreeable time.

Gromyko said he could answer the third question first, by stating that Soviet Government had in mind publishing all documents which had been exchanged confidentially between United States and Soviet Governments on this subject; that this would involve publication in Soviet press of both its memoranda and those received from United States Government and he assumed the same would be done in our press.

As to timing, he said he had no concrete suggestion to make and asked if I had any. I told him that since it was on Soviet initiative that this question had been raised, I would welcome any indication of Soviet view as to timing. Gromyko said he had no specific date to suggest but that any date provided it was not too long delayed which was agreeable to United States would be acceptable to them. I repeated since it was a Soviet suggestion I would like to know what they had in mind as to timing but Gromyko merely repeated any date within near future would be acceptable to his government and he had no date to suggest. I did not think it worthwhile to press Gromyko further on this point since it might be to our advantage to be able to select the particular date we prefer. Publication of Soviet memorandum of September 22 will make entirely [garble] to public opinion on whose initiative publication took place.

In regard to safeguarding future confidential exchanges, Gromyko said at that moment he could only take note of views of United States Government but would let me know later on when we further discussed the timing of release. He stated, however, that while he could give no definite answer on behalf his government he was sure there would be “no difficulty” on this point since it was obviously desirable to be able to have a confidential channel of communication by mutual agreement.

He did not mention your speech at UN² and I made only brief reference to fact that you had stated willingness of United States Government to publish the documents exchanged with Soviet Government.

From Gromyko’s personal remarks it would appear that Soviet Government will recognize desirability of ensuring confidential exchanges. However, given degree of Soviet suspicion and general unwillingness to commit themselves in advance, we may not get firm blanket commitment on this point but, rather, indication that each case will be decided as it arises.

As to timing and any other technical matters, I would suggest that we should select date most convenient to us within next few days and I should be authorized so to inform Gromyko. For our purposes date might be sufficient without attempt to fix exact hour of release, but that is matter for Department to decide.³

Bohlen

1. For text, see telegram 428 from Moscow, Sept. 23, supra.
2. See the editorial note, p. 1519.
3. In telegram 209 to Moscow, Sept. 24, the Department of State advised Ambassador Bohlen that the 12 documents exchanged between Jan. 11 and Sept. 22 would be released on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 26. (600.0012/9–2454) The documents were published in Department of State Bulletin, Oct. 4, 1954, pp. 478–489.