196. Telegram From the Department of State to the Consulate General in Geneva0
1158. Eyes only Wadsworth from Secretary. Have just completed talk with my disarmament consultants, namely Gruenther, Lovett, [Page 699] McCloy and Bedell Smith.1 Also McCone has just presented me with a formal communication from AEC.2 Think you should be aware that there is growing apprehension in informed private circles in Defense and AEC, in Congress and in the country as a whole lest these suspension-of-test negotiations involve us in agreements which are far from being “fool proof so far as inspection and controls are concerned. I consider it of the utmost importance that we concentrate upon forcing the Soviets to show their hand with respect to controls and ascertain whether or not they will demand veto power in Control Commission on substantive matters and whether they will insist that the local control posts in the Soviet Union be manned basically by Soviet nationals. If they demand both, or indeed either of these, then I believe our whole approach must be basically changed. Until we know this I believe it is dangerous to proceed with other aspects of the program. I am confident that you can give the negotiations this direction.
With best personal regards, Foster Dulles.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 700.5611/1–3059. Secret; Priority. Drafted and approved by Dulles and cleared by Farley.↩
- The memorandum of the conversation, January 30, is ibid. See the Supplement.↩
- See footnote 1, Document 195.↩