600.0012/1–1954: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union1
487. Eyes only Ambassador from the Secretary. Reference Deptel 456 January 11.2 Soviet Ambassador called on me January 19 at his request.3 He opened by stating he had received answers from [Page 1346] Soviet Government which were embodied in memorandum then read in translation.4
In brief, Soviets accepted suggestions contained in numbered paragraphs 1, 2, and 6, of memorandum I had given him January 115 and repeated verbatim to you in reference cable.
On numbered paragraph 3 Soviet Government expressed consent bearing in mind necessity at certain stage of negotiations of inviting all powers bearing main responsibility for maintenance world peace and international security. (Later in conversation I said that if this meant reaching present agreement to bring Chinese Communists at some point into discussions, I could not give any such agreement and that this should be made clear right away. Zarubin said it was very difficult for him to indicate now who those nations are and he made no effort to identify them.) On numbered paragraph 4 Soviet memorandum stated that it was necessary to recall Soviet Governments declaration of December 21 pointing out that in course of negotiations there should be simultaneously examined the matter of agreement unconditionally to ban the use of atomic or hydrogen or other weapons of mass destruction.
On numbered paragraph 5 the Soviet Government agreed to participate in discussion of President Eisenhower’s proposal of December 8 but at same time believed agreement must be reached on plan of “rotation” under which Soviet proposal of December 21 would be discussed in alternating meetings with President’s proposal.
I told Ambassador I felt general tenor of reply marked some advance but that I would want to study it more carefully before commenting. I asked whether there was any preference on the part of his government for channel of communication (i.e., through Soviet Embassy here or through you in Moscow) if I had any questions to put to Molotov before Berlin. Zarubin replied that either would do, whatever was most convenient. He then confirmed that he was leaving Washington tomorrow and in reply to my question as to whether his destination was Moscow or Berlin he said he was going directly to Berlin.
[Page 1347]I asked him when Molotov would arrive in Berlin and when he replied on 23, I remarked it might be possible to talk to him before opening of conference on January 25.
In closing I thanked Ambassador for prompt reply of his government and we quickly agreed upon a brief statement to press which said that, in agreement with Molotov, I would continue these discussions in Berlin.
- Drafted by Merchant.↩
- See footnote 1, p. 1335.↩
- According to a memorandum for the record, prepared by James C. H. Bonbright on Jan. 19, the Secretary of State suggested at his morning staff meeting that Bonbright call the Soviet Embassy to remind Ambassador Zarubin that a promised early Soviet reaction to the meeting of Jan. 11 had not been forthcoming and that the Secretary was leaving for the Berlin Conference in 2 days’ time. Bonbright reached Counselor Vladykin who soon phoned back that the Ambassador did indeed wish to see the Secretary and a meeting was arranged for 5 p.m. that day. “In my conversation with Mr. Vladykin, I made it quite clear that the Secretary was not asking for the appointment and the initiative rested clearly with the Soviet Ambassador.” (600.0012/1–1954)↩
- For the text in translation, see Department of State Bulletin, Oct. 4, 1954, pp. 478–479. The memorandum was among the documents released as the result of Soviet-American agreement in September 1954, to make public the correspondence between the two governments concerning the question of an “atomic pool”.↩
- Ante, p. 1339.↩