204. Telegram 224 from Moscow, July 191
From Harriman and Fisher. At drafting committee meeting today US tabled a “package deal” involving the following elements based on those elements believed to be acceptable in Soviet original draft. The text was offered as a package and ad referendum to principals.
Begin verbatim text. The Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, hereinafter referred to as the “Original Parties,”
Proclaiming as their principal aim the speediest possible achievement of an agreement on general and complete disarmament under strict international control in accordance with the objectives of the United Nations which would put an end to the armaments race and eliminate the incentive to the production and testing of all kinds of weapons, including nuclear weapons,
Seeking to achieve the discontinuance of all test explosions of nuclear weapons for all time and determined to continue negotiations to this end, and desiring to put an end to the contamination of man’s environment by radioactive substances,
Have agreed as follows: End verbatim text.
The Soviets also refused agree to the proposal that article IV be amended to provide for simple majority of all of parties after all original parties had approved. US reserved positions for plenary. Soviet indicated they would not consider dropping article VI and US indicated they would [Facsimile Page 2] agree to article as previously offered. US indicated that might be necessary to make technical drafting change based on Deptel 237 explaining difficulties of possible ambiguities. Did not table language then but at plenary tabled following language which believed to meet possible ambiguity at least as well as language suggested Deptel 237 which open to same ambiguity and which involved less change qte to prohibit and prevent the carrying out of any nuclear weapons test explosions, and the carrying out of any other nuclear explosion, at any place etc. Unquote Believe the placing of commas around the phrase qte and the carrying out of any other nuclear weapons explosion unqte makes it clear the subsequent language applies to both nuclear weapons test explosion and other nuclear explosion. At same time suggested conforming language of paragraph 2 of article [Typeset Page 579] one by having it read qte the carrying out of any nuclear weapons test explosion, and the carrying out of any other nuclear explosion, anywhere etc unqte. Matter referred to drafting committee for next meeting. Soviets also introduced complete treaty text purporting to include compilation of all positions to date in treaty form. Text now being analyzed. In view of fact that Soviets had already accepted article V of our proposal did not recommend amending accession clause as though recognition problems could be handled other way. Soviet acceptance of US, UK and USSR as joint depository will facilitate this problem.
- Text of U.S. tabled “package deal.” Unclassified. 2 pp. Department of State, Central Files, DEF 18–3 USSR (MO).↩