574. Memorandum of Telephone Conversations Between Herter and Eaton1
9:15 a.m.—Mr. Eaton telephoned to report on the break-up of the conference. Mr. Eaton said he had spoken to Zorin before the meeting and told him that Eaton would be prepared to table a new proposal within a very few days. Eaton said Zorin’s response was that the discussions had been going badly. Eaton said the meeting then came to order with the Pole in the chair and the Pole recognized Zorin who read his statement. Eaton said Zorin’s statement was then paralleled by one of the satellites and they walked out while everybody on our side insisted the conference go on. Eaton said the next chairman in alphabetical order was Ormsby-Gore who took the chair and said the conference was continuing. Eaton said he them made a statement, which will be coming over the open wires to us, and Eaton said he filed the plan exactly as it came out of Washington. Eaton said this was then followed by a statement on the part of all the other Western delegations endorsing the plan. Eaton said Moch then raised a point of order that this conference had been convened by the Four Foreign Ministers and that it could not be broken up by any one of them unilaterally. Eaton said the conference was then adjourned until tomorrow which will give us a chance to determine what should be done. Eaton said they can either convene in the morning and do something or they can announce termination or whatever is decided. Eaton said the Western delegates were meeting at 5:00 p.m. Geneva time (12:00 noon Washington time) and following that meeting Eaton said he would get a communication to the Secy on any suggestion by the Western delegates. The Secy said he was assuming the statement Eaton made was in order and Eaton said it was fine—one of the most classical statements ever made. Eaton said he had been asked to have a press conference but he didn’t think he would. Eaton said they called the press into the conference after the Soviets walked out so they heard the Western statements, but Eaton said he thinks he will go very briefly on radio and TV. Eaton said the Soviets are in a very, very difficult position because the press knew we had a plan and were going to present it. Eaton said he told the press he had had a private talk with Zorin so they knew that he had told Zorin we were prepared to do this. Eaton said they had just heard about the President making a speech and they will have in Washington a text of what Eaton said for the President’s possible use. Eaton asked if the President had received a letter from Khrushchev and the Secretary asked what [Typeset Page 2099] letter he referred to. Eaton said Khrushchev has presumably written to each of the heads of the Western powers according to Zorin’s statement and Mr. Eaton then read the rough translation of Zorin’s remarks (copy [Facsimile Page 2] attached). Mr. Eaton said the significant part was, of course, their taking this to the UN.
3:00 p.m.—Mr. Eaton telephoned from Geneva after having met with the other Four Western representatives. Mr. Eaton said the Soviets will not come back; that they will meet tomorrow and the conference will adjourn after tomorrow. The Secretary said he was then in a session discussing the question of going to the U.N. Disarmament Committee with a view to passing a resolution urging the Soviets to continue disarmament discussions. Eaton said this is good. Eaton said they were going to recommend the Secy consider making a statement calling an immediate meeting of the Security Council to ask that an emergency session of the General Assembly be called. The Secretary said they have a Disarmament Committee of 82 which would seem to us the better and more logical forum. Eaton said the Soviets have said they would go to a regular meeting of the GA and it might appear we were trying to avoid that by going to the Disarmament Committee. Eaton said by going directly to the GA this would indicate we could take a positive approach quickly by putting it before the U.N. Eaton said their alternative recommendation was to go to the Disarmament Committee but everyone there would favor calling a emergency session which can be done by seven members of the SC. Eaton said the only thing would be to be sure the emergency session would be limited to disarmament matters, but regardless of that, Eaton said it was the strong view of everyone with the possible exception of the French, that it would be good better to go before the GA to make clear we were going to the forum the world recognizes. Eaton said the suggestion on the part of all the Five delegations was that coordination of the Western position take place in Washington where the time difference problem is less. Eaton said he expressed the personal view the Secy might want to take a position and take it immediately to indicate we can take decisions without delay and the other delegations are fully conscious of this and would go along with the exception of wanting to be certain their Foreign Ministers are advised. Eaton said he would be available by phone at any time and was sending the Secy by most rapid communication a fuller text of what Eaton had said to the Secy.
- Source: Breakup of ten-nation disarmament talks. No classification marking. 2 pp. Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Telephone Calls.↩