Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume VII, Arms Control and Disarmament

227. Teletype Message From Prime Minister Macmillan to President Kennedy⁰

London, September 6, 1962.

T 446/62. Your message CAP5408-62 of September 5. Please pass following message to President Kennedy from Prime Minister Macmillan.

Begins

Dear Friend,

Thank you very much for sending me the private message from Khrushchev.¹

Of course I share your view that we should try to keep this matter in play and at first sight Khrushchev’s message seems intended to do the same. However there are some pretty obvious difficulties in his plan.

I wonder if we could deal with the matter in two parts. The first part would be an unpoliced ban in the atmosphere, under the sea and in space. The second part would be to urge Khrushchev once again to set up a joint working party with Russian scientists to see if an agreed basis for detection and verification could be found. A time limit of three or six months could be given.

The French point is very awkward and meant to be so. We could perhaps answer it by saying that it is for the three of us to set an example and that we would invite all other countries, including France and China, to join us in the atmospheric ban and of course, if the other negotiations succeed, to join us later in the comprehensive treaty.

I have been tied up with Commonwealth meetings all day but I thought you would like to have these first thoughts. I should be interested to know how you view the matter.

With warm regard,

Yours sincerely,

Harold Macmillan

Ends.

0. Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, Prime Minister Macmillan Correspondence with President Kennedy, 1962-1963, Vol. III. Secret; Eyes Only.
1. A note from Bromley Smith to Edward S. Little (S/S), September 12, attached to the source text, indicates that the text of the message from Khrushchev (Document 225) was transmitted to Macmillan, presumably over private wire, “without any comment.”