Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Regulation of Armaments; Atomic Energy, Volume XX

29. Memorandum for the Files, by William O. Hall of the United States Mission to the United Nations¹

New York, May 13, 1955.

SUBJECT

• Conversation Between Ambassador Lodge and Ambassador Patterson on May 10th

Ambassador Patterson indicated that negotiations on the draft statute for the Atomic Energy Agency had been proceeding actively and well. He indicated that his main interest was in pressing for the completion of as many bilateral atomic energy agreements as possible before May 31st.

He said the Agency would not come into being until fall because of the Congressional recess and the necessity for further clearances, but that a demonstration of progress on the sharing of atomic energy could be achieved if a number of bilateral agreements were signed. He said the provision requiring the agreements to lie on the table for sixty days while Congress is in session² made June 1st the probable last effective date for initialing agreements.

He recounted the negotiations with respect to the Turkish agreement, and the difficulties encountered in the Netherlands agreement where the U.S. had been unable to comply with the desire of the Netherlands for a power reactor because of the restrictions in the Atomic Energy Act on the amount of nuclear fuel which could be supplied to any one country. …³ As the result of this restriction, the reactor agreements will have to be restricted to its use for research and isotope production.

The Ambassadors discussed at some length the question of permanent membership on the governing board of the Agency. Ambassador Lodge outlined the difficulties which had been encountered with Mr. Menon in the UN, and they canvassed the possibility of membership by Pakistan, the Philippines and Japan after they had both agreed that it probably would be politically desirable and almost necessary to include a colored and underdeveloped country among the permanent members on the governing body. Ambassador Lodge suggested that if the Agency could be located away from New York and if Ambassador Cooper could be asked to make it clear to Mr. Nehru that the U.S. would expect India to designate a scientist as its representative on the governing body, he felt on balance India probably was the most natural candidate for membership. He pointed out that, in the process of regular election, India would undoubtedly be able to serve as a member of the governing body and that it might be better if she were given the permanent status.

The Ambassadors then canvassed somewhat inconclusively the problems presented by the absence of a Latin American in the permanent members and Ambassador Lodge expressed the view that Brazil would undoubtedly be a good candidate and a member that could be counted on to support the U.S.

It was agreed that Ambassador Patterson would outline fairly fully to the SYG UN the plans for the Agency, and would also mention that the U.S. was intending to negotiate as many bilateral agreements as possible.

Ambassador Lodge congratulated Ambassador Patterson on the excellent work he had done and assured him that the Mission would lend every support to his efforts to move the President’s program along at a rapid rate.

1. Source: Department of State, USUN Files, Atomic Energy, 1955. Confidential.
2. Reference is to provisions contained in section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. (68 Stat. 940)
3. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 did not place specific restrictions on the amount of nuclear fuel which could be supplied to any one country, but section 123–a(3) required “a guaranty by the cooperating party that any material to be transferred pursuant to such an agreement will not be used for atomic weapons, or for research on or development of atomic weapons or for any other military purpose.” (Ibid.)