501.BC/2–447
Memorandum of Telephone Conversations, by the Chief of the Division of International Security Affairs (Johnson)1
Mr. Herschel Johnson called from Lake Success at the request of Senator Austin regarding Item 3 on the Security Council’s Agenda, the General Assembly Resolution relating to information on armed forces.2
Gromyko had just asked Senator Austin privately whether we could agree that this Item should be referred to the proposed commission. Gromyko had apparently indicated that if we could so agree, it might be possible to reach agreement on the whole matter in a few minutes.
Mr. Herschel Johnson said that he had been told by Mr. Ross that this question had been discussed with Mr. Acheson and that the Department’s position was that, if anybody raised this question, the Senator was authorized to say that we had no objection to the matter’s being referred to the commission. The Senator wished, nevertheless, to check back with the Department.
After consultation with Mr. Ross (being unable to reach Mr. Acheson) I called Mr. Herschel Johnson back to tell him we had no objection to the matter’s being referred to the proposed commission, although we think it would be a more orderly procedure to ask the committee which our resolution calls for to make recommendations to the Council on this matter. I said I thought Senator Austin might inform Gromyko privately that if Gromyko would raise the question in the Council he could reply along those lines.
[Page 394]Mr. Herschel Johnson remarked that he thought Senator Austin and Gromyko had had in mind some private agreement; Mr. Johnson thought that the procedure I had outlined might be the most orderly one. He then asked whether, if Gromyko in talking to Senator Austin indicated a strong desire to agree now that this item should be referred to the commission when established, there would be any objection to Senator Austin’s agreeing. I said I did not think so, but I still thought that Gromyko and the Senator should agree in private conversation that the former would raise the question in open Council and the latter would reply that the United States had no objection to the proposal. I said I thought this was a separate item which should not be confused with our proposed resolution. Mr. Herschel Johnson agreed that it was in effect a separate item.
A few minutes later Mr. Herschel Johnson called again to say that Senator Austin had thought it might be possible to accommodate Gromyko by including in numbered paragraph 2 of our resolution a specific reference to the Assembly Resolution on armed forces. I indicated some doubts about this, and Mr. Herschel Johnson asked what specific objection I had. I replied that one thing that bothered me about any suggestions for such a substantial change was the fact that the resolution had top clearance in Washington. Under the circumstances I did not feel justified in agreeing to a change. Mr. Johnson replied he thought that was a very important point and he would mention it to the Senator.
Subsequently, after further consideration of the matter, I called Mr. Johnson back suggesting that it might be possible to reach agreement with Gromyko on the following basis: (1) to point out to him that the instructions of the U.S. Delegation would not permit the Senator to accept such a substantial change in the resolution; (2) to point out that obviously the recommendation regarding information necessary to give effect to the Assembly Resolution on regulation of armaments was such a “practical measure” as was contemplated by numbered paragraph 1 of our resolution; (3) to suggest that if Gromyko could agree to our resolution and it passed, then Item 3 of the Agenda would come up automatically. At that point Gromyko might propose that consideration of it be deferred until the commission was established at which time the Council could refer the Assembly Resolution on information on armed forces to the commission with a request for recommendations. Senator Austin might agree privately that, if Gromyko were to make such a proposal, he would support it.
Without indicating definitely whether he thought such a suggestion would solve the difficulty, Mr. Herschel Johnson said that it was clear that Gromyko would not change his position publicly in the Council and that any agreement would have to be reached in private conversation.
[Page 395]He reported that the Council will not take a vote today. It has been suggested by one of the Members of the Council that the Council appoint a drafting group consisting of the representatives who have submitted resolutions on this matter. Mr. Johnson remarked, however, that one of the difficulties is that the other Members would want such a group to establish the terms of reference of any commission, whereas the United States believes the satisfactory determination of terms of reference is a task requiring more careful consideration than such a drafting group might give it.
Upon learning that the Council would take no decision today, I promised to see that the issue raised by Gromyko’s talk with Senator Austin would be taken up in the Department with a view to getting high level recommendations to the U.S. Delegate as quickly as possible.
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The source text is accompanied by an unsigned covering chit headed “Office of the Secretary,” which reads as follows:
↩“Some difficulty has arisen over Gromyko’s desire to tie into our resolution a specific reference to the General Assembly Resolution on Armed Forces. Gromyko wishes agreement that the Assembly resolution shall be referred to the Commission to be set up under our proposal.
The Department has suggested that Gromyko should be asked to agree to our resolution on the private understanding that we will then support reference of the Assembly Resolution to the Commission. Herschel Johnson does not believe that Gromyko will change his position publicly and feels that the whole matter must be worked out privately.
Urgent instructions are requested.
Mr. Ross is working On this.”
- For text, see footnote 4, p. 357.↩