ATOMIC ENERGY


  Sir Roger Makins then said that the British Government would for
the present at least proceed domestically within the program which
it had declared to us in an endeavor not to create more problems which
would make future negotiations more difficult. He said that in doing
this the British Government might ask us ,for export licenses for
certain materials which were not forbidden under the law but which
involved the exercise of discretion. He hoped that, if and when such
applications were made, they would be sympathetically considered,
since their refusal would cause misunderstanding and difficulty. I
said that I did not know what he 'had in mind but that ;any request
which he made would receive careful and sympathetic consideration,
because we also were desirous of avoiding any action which might
prejudice future discussions.
   I suggested to Mr. Attlee that both in the discussions regarding
security measures and in any approaches which the British Govern-
ment might make to us in Washington on this-whole subject the matter
should be conducted as far as possible -through the regular Embassy
staff, pointing out that the presence in Washington of such well known
,officials as Sir Roger Makins, -with their known connection with this
subject, always gave rise to embarrassing speculation in the Press.
Mr. Attlee and Mr. Bevin agreed that this was most desirable.
   Mr. Pearson took no part in the ýforegoing discussion. At its close
he raised the question of proceeding informally with the talks among
-the sponsoring powers in the United Nations on atomic energy.7 He
.suggested this, he said, not with any idea that any substantive progress
would be made, but because the so-called Vishinsky proposals of last
fall were being used by Communist propaganda to make it iappear
that the Russians were willing to move toward international control,
and that the Western Powers were blocking it." He knew that this
was not the ease, and that the real block came from the Russiansl
   'For documentation on this subject, see pp. 1 ff.
   Reference is ,presumably to the draft resolution "Condemnation of
-the prepa-
 rations for a new war, and conclusion of a five-power pact for the strengthening
 ýof peace," introduced by Andrei Y. Vyshinsky, Soviet-Foreign
Minister, at the
 Fourth Session of ,the: United'Nations General /Assembly. The Soviet proposal
 provided, inter alia, for the unconditional prohibition of atomic weapons
and for
 -appropriate international control. For text, see telegram Delga 16 from
New
 York, September 23, 1949, Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. 1I, p. 88. For additional
 -information on Soviet positions at the General Assembly in 1949, see ibid.,
vol. I,
 :pp. 1 if.
   Pearson had previously informed United States officials of. his concern
respect-
 ing the Soviet 'General Assembly proposals of 1949; in this regard, see
 memorandum of conversation by Philip C. Jessup, Ambassador at Large, April
3,
 i. 60.


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