396. Telegram 5175 to London1
5175. Personal for Vice President from Secretary. Your 2888. Have discussed this with McElroy. He is strongly of opinion that we should maintain tie-up with QTE major and substantial arms control measures UNQTE as stipulated in President’s statement of August 22 and which now constitutes agreed US policy except that we have since agreed to drop the QTE year-by-year UNQTE basis and need for annual determinations.
Under circumstances it is not practical to bring about a new policy before your press conference. McCone is in San Francisco, President is in Augusta, and in view of McElroy’s views we could only change our position after a deliberate reexamination by all US elements largely concerned and presentation of views to the President.
It occurs to me that you might say that if adequate controls are accepted and installed for purposes of monitoring agreement to suspend testing, this [Facsimile Page 2] would of itself go far to pave the way toward broader arms control measures so that the relating of suspension of testing to these other measures would not be apt in practice to constitute a serious qualification. Therefore, the first thing to find out is whether or not the Soviets will agree to an adequate control system. This goes to the heart of all aspects of limitation of armament. This issue they so far evade.
- Source: Conveys view that there must be full deliberation on proposed change in U.S. position at nuclear test suspension conference. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. 2 pp. NARA, RG 59, Central Files, 033.1100–NI/11–2658.↩