I have been asked by the Prime Minister to pass to you the enclosed
message about Nuclear Tests.
Following is text of Macmillan
letter of March 30:
QUOTE
Dear Friend,
Now that the situation is a bit clearer I have been looking again at
your message of March 20 to which I have sent you a direct answer
although, of course, David
Gore has been discussing the position with you and
your office. As you know, I fully agreed with the points which you
made in your second paragraph. Now the situation has clarified so
far as Geneva, Rusk,
Home and Gromyko are concerned. The curtain
has fallen on this act. The question is what we are to do next.
In your message of March 20 you suggested that it might be
appropriate in the second act for one or both of us to communicate
with Khrushchev. Our purpose
would be at
[Facsimile Page 3]
the best to persuade him at the last moment to accept the
principle of international verification on which everything turns.
At the worst we should put ourselves in the best posture before the
world, especially the neutrals, when tests have to be resumed. Many
people seem to think that the Russians do not treat Foreign
Ministers with the same respect that you and I do, that Khrushchev settles everything and
that no deal can ever be done except with him direct. On this plan
both of us or one of us might communicate with Khrushchev asking him once more
the simple question which Rusk and Home have been putting over and over again to
Gromyko, namely whether
he will accept the principle of international verification on the
spot of doubtful events. Alternatively, we could issue a joint
statement on the lines of the draft which I sent to David Gore some days ago and which
I think he discussed with you.
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We could play the hand either way but I think we must do something
more both for our own consciences and for the public opinion of the
world before the time runs out. As I understand it, we have about 30
days before the first test and whichever way we play it, I think
timing will be important. What do you think?
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Perhaps you would allow David
Gore to talk to you about this and then we can have a
further interchange by message or telephone.
With warm regards,
Harold Macmillan
UNQUOTE