USUN Files
The Deputy United States Representative on the United Nations Commission for Conventional Armaments (Bard) to the Secretary of the Navy (Forrestal)
Dear Jim: I am in receipt of your letter of July 11th,1 and certainly agree with you that there is “practically no basis for any realistic talk about disarmament” until conditions change materially. In fact I have suggested to the State Department the possibility of someone making a public statement to this effect, recommending adjournment of further meetings of the Commission for Conventional Armaments until some of the controversial matters before the United Nations have been resolved, until as you say, “the Russians have made it manifest and [Page 566] clear that they want the substance and not merely the sham of peace in the world.”
I would say that the delegates from the United Kingdom, France and many of the others agree that this is a common sense suggestion, but they take the position that it is politically impossible for them to make such a statement and assume that it is impossible for us.
I am sure our diplomats will never agree to such a statement. Personally, I am inclined to believe that a straightforward statement of this kind very carefully drawn would be appreciated by almost everybody concerned and might turn out to be a very healthy antidote which might help to either kill or cure the patient. I think a statement could be drawn up which would throw all the onus of the adjournment on the Soviets. I will try and work up such a statement and if I have any success, will send it on to you. I am quite sure that nothing will be done along these lines by the State Department without pressure from other directions.
Assuming that we have to proceed, I think you will agree that we must have a plan. Otherwise we will be in a negative position of opposing a Soviet plan, as it does not appear at the moment that even the French or the British or anybody else has a plan.
Our instructions from the General Assembly and the Security Council are to the effect that we must proceed with the discussion of a program of disarmament, even though in the discussion of general principles it is decided that such a program cannot be implemented until after the peace treaties have been signed, the United Nations armed force set up, and the atomic problem disposed of.
Therefore, whether we like it or not, we will have to continue to discuss disarmament, and we cannot afford to be in a position of trying to whittle away on a Russian plan, which will no doubt be so drastic that even if you do whittle industriously, you are apt to arrive at a very unsatisfactory program. We must also realize that these delegates are on this Commission to produce a disarmament program, and they will develop one with the Russian plan as a basis, unless we have one to which they can adhere.
We have drafted a new proposal2 which I am sending you under separate cover. You will find that we have set up a questionnaire which is so broad in the information required that we can’t see how the JCS can object. Of course this questionnaire is subject to change, in fact just about anything that the JCS wishes. I would say that all of this information, as far as the United States is concerned, is immediately available to anyone who might wish to obtain it.
I hope you will keep in mind that this program, because of the verification and inspection procedure, will probably not be at all acceptable [Page 567] to the Soviets, and also that as we proceed, our Military Staff Committee will be constantly consulted on all points. If the plan is adopted, it will be months before this happens and then there will be a period of time after its adoption before the information will be called for.
The Navy Department seems to be much more averse to such a program than the Army. I hope you will see that this proposition is considered with an open mind, because we have been committed by our President, a former Secretary of State, our Senators, Senator Austin and everybody concerned to diligent consideration and development of a plan of disarmament. This procedure can only be directed as we would wish it, by means of a plan of our own.
I hope to be down in Washington the early part of next week.
Sincerely yours,