41. Editorial Note
On July 17, 1961, the U.S.-Soviet bilateral talks on disarmament reconvened at the Spiridovka House in Moscow with McCloy and Zorin continuing to represent their countries. Documentation on these talks, including memoranda of seven sessions held through July 29, is in Department of State, Central File 600.0012 for July 1961.
In telegram 205 from Moscow, July 20, McCloy reported that on the basis of meetings held so far he saw “little prospect” of reaching agreement on a set of principles to guide general disarmament negotiations or on a suitable forum for such negotiations. While he believed the United States had built a “reasonable record” on a number of contended points, he considered that there was “little point in continuing while Zorin talks about plans and I talk about principles,” and wanted to suggest to Zorin winding up the meetings on July 26 or 27 and convening a meeting of the full Disarmament Commission in September. (Ibid., 600.0012/7-2061)
In telegram 231 to Moscow, July 22, the Department gave tentative assent to the tactic of convening a meeting of the full U.N. Disarmament Commission but cautioned McCloy against any abrupt breakoff of the current talks and suggested July 28 as a better date for concluding them. (Ibid.) On July 29, the United States submitted a memorandum that proposed four alternatives for the composition of a disarmament forum, one of which was the U.N. Disarmament Commission. For text, see Documents on Disarmaments, 1961, pages 271-273.