FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1946, VOLUME I



The Kremlin will obviously do everything in its power to prevent this,
but the basic contradiction between a police state and an international
authority does not automatically mean that the international authority
would lose out. I gather that it was some such possibility that General
Smith had in mind in the paragraph on page 3 that you marked which
at first glance appears to be inconsistent with the considerations set
forth earlier.
  As to the paragraph on page 4 which you question, I think General
Smith feels that we should proceed with the international control of
atomic energy in cooperation with any nation that accepts it in good
faith and not hold up international control because of the failure of
the Soviets to join in such control. I am not entirely sure that I agree
with that thesis since the net effect might be to water down our ad-
vantage as the possessors of the atomic bomb without any appreciable
gain if the Soviets stay out. I am more inclined to the view that if a
completely adequate arrangement cannot be made with the Soviet
Union it would be better to drop any scheme for international control,
which would only be partial if Russia were out, and leave our hands
free to develop atomic energy on a national scale.73


500.A/12-2846: Telegram
The Acting United States Representative at the United Nations
                (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

US URGENT              NEW YORK, December 28, 1946-3 30 p. m.
                                             [Received 3: 42 p. mi.]
  998. Following letter from Gromyko to SYG 74 regarding imple-
mentation of GA resolution on reduction of armaments, dated Decem-
ber 27, was received by the delegation at 3 p. m. December 28 over the
UN news line with notation that it was for press release at 6 p. m.
December 28:
  "I have the honour to request you to include in the agenda of the
next meeting of the SC on 31 December an item on the consideration of
the following proposal which I make on behalf of my government.
  'Considering that the general regulation and reduction of arma-
ments and armed forces is the most important measure for the
strengthening of international peace and security and that the imple-
mentation of the GA's decision on this question is one of the most
urgent and most important tasks facing the SC, the Council resolves:

3 Mr. Acheson, to whom Mr. Matthews transmitted the file copy on February
1,
1947, made the following marginal notation beside the final sentence: "In
co-
operation with UK and Canada."
" Secretary General of the United Nations (Trygve H. Lie).



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