600.0012/11–1254: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Mission at the United Nations1
priority
Gadel 93. Further to Secretary’s telecon with Lodge re Menon’s proposal conference of governments be held to consider draft treaty creating international agency after treaty negotiated out by present eight powers (Delga 209, November 10).2
While appreciating probability there would be some benefits in indicating publicly now our general approval this kind of conference, we doubt advisability so doing. It will require some period of time reach agreement with other seven negotiating states on details before establishing agency, and circumstances prevailing at that time would have major bearing on desirability such procedure as Menon suggests. Moreover, as Acting Secretary indicated previously in Gadel 47, October 15,3 there are considerable dangers in giving opportunity to such large group of states in a conference to express disapproval treaty aspects not completely satisfactory to them. Contrariwise, these states may be more restrained when individually deciding whether ratify treaty and obtain benefits membership in international agency on terms which we and other seven negotiating powers should largely be able determine.
Consequently, we believe you should, after advising UK, Canadian and French delegations of intended course, inform Menon as follows:
- 1.
- Dept appreciates India’s views and will continue keep them in mind;
- 2.
- However, US would not wish to commit itself now to future course of action, particularly when we are still in process of negotiations on details involving creation international agency;
- 3.
- Initial US reaction is negative to Menon’s suggestion, since we believe would be preferable consult individually with states other than present negotiating group, in order ascertain their views and [Page 1560] eventually secure their agreement and ratification of treaty establishing agency;
- 4.
- India will, of course, be one of the countries whose views on agency will be solicited as soon as ideas negotiating powers have further crystallized.
Above views discussed November 11 with Morehead Patterson,4 who agrees with general line.