500.A15A4 General Committee/234: Telegram
The Acting Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 21—3:52 p.m.]
583. Department’s 308, March 20, 6 p.m. We shall be guided by your instructions which are very helpful. They are in fact along the line we have taken in private conversation in answer to inquiries as to our attitude on the British proposal and particularly its security phase.
Our course will necessarily be dictated by the temper that develops in the debate but judging from past experience we fear that after the discussion has continued for a certain time, complete silence on the part of the American delegation may be given an ominous significance and that our problem will therefore be to make a brief statement of an innocuous nature avoiding the difficulties you have foreseen.