FOREIGN RELATI0NS 1 950,- VOLUME t1


  Mr. Nash recalled his previous discussion in the Delegation meeting
regarding the motivation of the President's suggestion for consoli-
dation of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Commission on
Conventional Armaments. At that time he had pointed out that the
suggestion was in part to test the climate of opinion in the-General
Assembly and to determine how far members-might-wish to go in the
current session with respect to the consolidation proposal. He reported
that after four weeks of testing, it appeared to be impossible.to have
substantive discussion regarding the possibility of merging the two
commissions at this session,.
  Turning to the draft resolution prepared by Australia (Delga 391),
he pointed out that it. provided for a committee to study ways and
means of bringing- the two commissions closer together, even going
so far. as complete merger. The proposed special committee would be
composed of the members of the Security Council plus Canada: co-
sponsors for the Australian resolution were drawn from that group.
Mr. Nash reviewed the-terms of the :resolution. After general hor-
tatory preambular provisions, the resolution recognized the inability,
to date, to achtieve agreement ,among nations on ,the elimination of
atomic weapons under a system Of effective international control and
the regulation of other armaments and armed forces and recalled that
a plan had been developed in the Atomic Energy Commission, and
approved by the Assembly, for the international control of atomic
energy, and that much useful planning work had been accomplished
in the Commission for Conventional Armaments. Mr. Nash pointed
out that this latter provision made clear that it was not intended by
this resolution in any way to junk or discredit the work of the past of
both commissions. The operative provision of the resolution, as he
already noted, provided for the establishment of a committee of 12
to consist of the representatives of the Security Council as of Janu-
ary 1, 1951, together with Canada. He explained that at first it had
been expected that Australia would be included, but it had withdrawn
because of the fact that its membership would open wide the possi-
bility of including a number of other states on the special committee.
Mr. Nash personaly felt this limited membership was preferable.
  With respect to the plans for discussion in plenary, Mr. Nash ex-
  plained that Australia would be the first speaker, while the United
States was inscribed to be second. We hoped Vhis would get the dis-
cussion off on a key which we hoped could be maintained during" the
entire discussion. The aim was to avoid intensive substantive con-
sideration of atomic energy. If we could get.the free nations to rally
around this particular resolution, Mr. Nash believed it would set a
constructive note for the future.


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