Office of the Historian

118. Telegram From the Representative to the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee (Foster) to the Acting Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Fisher)1

Geneva, February 16, 1966, 1323Z.

Gen 064. Re Foster/Tsarapkin meeting, 10:30 am today.

In response to Tsarapkin’s question on amended language for Article I, described more fully in regular reporting cable this date,2 Foster said that President’s letter went further than before in clarifying our purposes3 [Page 302] and amendments were designed to assure that the Treaty itself was consonant therewith.4 Foster said that as the President’s message to Kosygin made plain we envisaged no plan which would involve relinquishing control over U.S. weapons. Foster read following from President’s message:

“Our physical and legal arrangements are and will remain such as to insure beyond doubt that these weapons cannot and will not be used without the consent of the United States Government. I can assure you that the concerns you express on this point are groundless.”

Tsarapkin then took text and read back to Foster following:

“Chancellor Erhard and I firmly believe in the principle of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. There is no conflict between this principle and the understanding that we reached during the recent visit that there should be continued discussion … to work out arrangements to assure NATO members an appropriate share in nuclear defense.”

Tsarapkin then said that obviously the U.S. continued to want to establish a new category of nuclear weapons state as evidence by continued emphasis on nuclear sharing with FJCS. Tsarapkin then further said that as long as this was the U.S. position it would be impossible to make progress; on contrary, if U.S. would but sign and accept the Soviet Articles I and II Soviets considered that no access could take place and we could thus achieve non-proliferation together.

Please inform Secretary.

  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, ACDA, Vol. II, Box 6. Secret; No Distribution; Eyes Only. A February 16 cover memorandum from Fisher to McGeorge Bundy states that the telegram arrived by special channel because of the reference to the President’s January 24 letter to Kosygin. Fisher added that he was sending a copy to the Secretary of State.↩
  2. Telegram 1464 from Geneva, February 16, 1966. (Department of State, Central Files, DEF 18-4)↩
  3. Document 116.↩
  4. Reference presumably is to U.S. amendments to the U.S. Draft Treaty To Prevent the Spread of Nuclear Weapons, subsequently presented to the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee on March 21. (Documents on Disarmament, 1966, pp. 159-160)↩