33. Memorandum from McCloy to President Kennedy, August 111
SUBJECT
- United States Disarmament Plan
1. Attached (Tab A) is the new United States disarmament plan. It is agreed within the Government except for the one issue indicated below. The only issue outstanding at this time with the Allies is that indicated in paragraph 3 below.
2. Attached (Tab B) is a concise explanation of the new plan. The plan is the result of extensive consultation—first with a group of task forces from outside the Government; then with the various interested departments within the Government; and finally with the four Western Powers (the U.K., Canada, Italy, and France).
3. With the exception of France, which prefers not to be associated with any disarmament proposal at this time, the paper has the strong support of the other members of the Western Five and is regarded by them as a major advance over past U.S. proposals. France has reserved its position, although having made certain comments—both favorable and unfavorable—on specific elements of the paper. The French objection to inclusion of the section on reducing the risks of war by accident, [Typeset Page 121] miscalculation, and surprise attack (page 9 of the paper) is based on a concern that the USSR could use such proposals to embarrass the West in the Berlin crisis, perhaps by seeking to engage us in discussion of a Rapacki-type Central European zone. I recognize the point the French make but I am not inclined to think that the presence of this section is apt to increase the already substantial probability that the Soviets will bring forward again the Rapacki Plan. As I think the section adds something to our plan, I would retain it.
4. The single remaining issue within the Government is the Defense Department recommendation that the delivery vehicle measures be linked to the concurrent implementation of the measures dealing with reductions in force levels and conventional armaments. Arguments pro and con are given in the explanation paper in Tab B. The Defense position is given in the Defense letter of August 10, 1961 and the JCS comments in the memorandum of August 9, 1961 (both attached in Tab C).
[Facsimile Page 2]5. As soon as you have made a decision on this remaining issue, we intend to submit the paper to the Allies for their final review and to the North Atlantic Council for discussion. After that—and with any non-substantive presentational changes which might be made—the paper will be ready for presentation in the General Assembly. The paper is now in a format designed both for presentation in the General Assembly and for negotiation in a multilateral forum. With regard to its presentation in the General Assembly, I strongly recommend that you present the plan yourself in a major speech on disarmament at the General Assembly.
6. A reference to a nuclear test ban has not been included in the disarmament plan because of previous concern that such a reference would play into the Soviet effort to merge the test talks with the general disarmament discussions. We have only recently raised this point informally with Defense for reconsideration. Defense prefers to study this question further before commenting. I urge that a reference to a nuclear test ban be included in the paper. In order to make the point that the U.S. continues to hope the USSR will sign the test ban treaty without waiting for general disarmament agreements, I suggest the following language be inserted in Section C on page 6 of the paper:
“(a) States that have not adhered to the agreement to prohibit the testing of nuclear weapons shall do so.”
Other paragraphs in Section C would be relettered accordingly.
7. I understand that Ambassador Stevenson will be commenting to you shortly on the marketability at the U.N. of the recommended U.S. disarmament plan. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss with you any substantive comments he might make.
- Transmits copy of new U.S. disarmament plan and advises the President on outstanding clearance issues. Secret. Disarmament plan is not attached. 2 pp. Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, ACDA, Disarmament.↩